










X 







































INDEX, 


i. 

The Meeting of an old College Chum. 

II. 

A Perfectly Safe and Controllable Airship. 

III. 

My First Ascent in the Air. 

IV. 

A Challenge from San Francisco. 

V. 

Lost Between the Planets. 

VI. 

On Our Way to a New Planet. 

VII. 

Our First Acquaintance with Jupiter. 

VIII. 

Religion on Jupiter. 

IX. 

Without Church and Without Priests. 

X. 

Bodily and Moral Constitution of the Jupiter Men. 

XI. 

A Tour on the Planet Jupiter. 

XII. 

Socialism, Communism and Anarchism Combined. 

XIII. 

Christian Socialism and Communism. 

XIV. 

A Monkey Sensation. 


Familiar Chats. 


XV. 


XVI. 

Planning for the Future. 

XVII. 


Preparations for our Return to Mother Earth. 



XVIII 

On Our Way Back To Old Earth 


XIX. 

Farewell to Balva. 

XX. 

Back on Old Earth. 

XXI. 

Excitement at Paris. 

XXII. 


A Scene in the Harbor. 

XXIII. 


Back Home. 


THE ELDORADO 


OF 


Socialism, Communism 
and Anarchism 


OR 


A Trip to the Planet Jupiter 


By REV. JOHN H. REYNAERT 





* 







/ 

© Cl. A 4 0 2 0 3 7 


APR 19 1917 

■Vw \ . 


i 




PREFACE 


1 


PREFACE 

Among the present civilized nations, the socalled socialistic 
party is pushing itself to the front with all means put at its dis- 
posal by the real evils, which were generated in the bosom of mod- 
ern society by our squandering ways of living on one side they 
naturally cause acute discontent amongst the toiling masses, who 
constitute the bulk of struggling humanity, and have to live from 
hand to mouth. On the other side it rises to the highest pitch by 
the inborn greed for wealth and comfort. This perverted disposi- 
tion of the heart will certainly throw its shadow on reason and 
stunt the sense of duty and morality. The principle of equality in 
worldly goods and comfort is invoked by socialistic leaders no 
matter whether they style themselves Socialists pure and simple, 
or Communists or even Anarchists. This equality may be all 
right in theory, but is entirely out of place in the present physical 
and moral conditions under which mankind is laboring and its 
application would precipitate Society into the lowest barbarism, 
unbearable slavery and brutal force. 

Meantime it is hard to find an exact definition of each of 
these three different social systems even from the mouth or writ- 
ings of their most prominent champions. To clear the way there- 
fore to an unbiased discussion, I cm do nothing else than to give 
myself a definition of each, that the reader may know what I am 
talking about in this pamphlet. So then by Socialism I under- 
stand : 

Equality of wealth and comfort among mankind. 

By Communism: i 

The same quality without any individual ownership. 

By Anarchism: 

The absence of all human authority, religious or civil. 

Of course, these systems, singly or jointly must be intended 
even by their champions, to bring happiness to man on Earth. If 
they don’t they are uncalled for and not wanted by anybody. 

This book has a double purpose. 

1st. To demonstrate, that applied to the conditions under 
which we live here and which we can not change, this systems 
would pour more misery upon mankind and society than they al- 
ready have to cope with. 

2nd. That under quite reversed conditions, as my Story 
fancies to exist on the Planet Jupiter, these systems not only will 
pause happiness, but would be the right thing in the right place as 


2 


PREFACE 


the natural consequence of these conditions. 

Dear friend, judge only after you have read the book 
through, not before. Do not think, either, it is a dry discussion of 
an old philosopher out of date, on the contrary, you will find in it 
an original fiction, a refreshing but instructive story bristling with 
episodes which will captivate your attention and keep your interest 
from beginning to end. 

I hope, Dear Reader, you will not find it too daring on my 
part that I offer you something to read, which I cannot read ray- 
self. The only excuse I can bring forward is that I became too 
blind to read any further. After all, I think, this is a pretty good 
excuse. 

For the rest, may my pamphlet do to my fellowmen all the 
good it can. This will be my best reward. 

REV. JOHN H. REYNAERT. 


THE MEETING OP AN OLD COLLEGE CHUM 


3 


CHAPTER I. 

THE MEETING OF AN OLD COLLEGE CHUM. 

I am a born philosopher, we all are. The difference with 
me is only, that, since my happy college days, my mind has been 
entirely absorbed by metaphysical studies. I could have com- 
posed volumes of conclusions logically drawn from, at first sight 
evident principle. Did I know anything about practical life? I 
am sure, a shoeblack of New York could teach me a number of 
lessons in this. No matter. Lately some high sounding books of 
some learned social reformers had fallen into my hands and had 
lowered my mind to the level of every day life. One bright morn- 
ing I had been scanning some socialistic writings, I found the 
great principle of Equality advocated by them, quite in order, but 
for my life, I could not see logical connection between this prin- 
ciple and the present state of humanity. It looked to me as if 
they were trying to teach a horse not to steal any oats, if he can 
get at them. It was nearly noon ; my brains were aching, and I was 
glad when my Negro waiter called me for dinner. When I left 
the table, I went out to the Park to find some diversion. 

I had been strolling there for quite awhile, my whole at- 
tention was taken up in getting out of the way for the numberless 
vehicles and automobiles that were flying along. Suddenly I 
noticed an excited crowd encircling a large grass field. At nearly 
the same moment a balloon ascended straight up unto the air 
among the shouts and applauses of the bystanders. In the boat 
drawn up by the balloon was standing a man with a peculiar cos- 
tume smiling to the multitude below, while he manoeuvered his 
airship with such ease and dexterity as if it was a mere lark soar- 
ing on high. I watched these proceedings with great interest un- 
til the airship with the same ease and grace returned to the identi- 
cal place where it started from. I thought my brains had cleared 
up enough now and slowly I walked to the gate at the other side 
of the Park. 

I was only a few steps from it, when a heavy hand was laid 
on my shoulders with the familiar outcry: 

“Oh, Fred ; you here ? How glad to see you after so many 
years/* 

I looked amazed. “Excuse me,” I muttered, “who are 

you?** 

“You must surely be in the clouds of high Philosophy, that 
you fail to recognize your old College-Protege the mischievous 
Charley Sport alias Charley Stuart.” 

“Is that you, Charley, old boy,” came hurriedly from my 


4 


THE MEETING OF AN OLD COLLEGE CHUM 


quivering lips, while the threw himself into my arms. “ Who 
would recognize you under this strange costume? You are still 
leading a life of sport, I suppose, if I judge from your strappings” 

“Yes, yes, Fred, I am sporting still, but in the high skies. I 
am the inventor of an absolutely controllable and safe airship. I 
thought it was you, when I looked down from the skies upon that 
lonely man standing at a distance.” 

“Glad to hear all that,” I replied, “but, pardon me, Charley, 
you have to do with an incredulous Thomas in convincing me. I 
saw so many failures in that line.” 

“My pardon is granted from the bottom of my heart. I 
know my old Mentor's kind heart. Know also, he is a stubborn 
philosopher.” 

“Never mind, Charley, I was always convinced that there 
was something more in you than the sporting and mischievous 
College boy.” 

“And you, Fred, are you still the incorribeable book worm?” 

“That is my life’s pleasure. Of late, however, I got side- 
tracked.” My mind got diverted to the social question of to-day. 

“Well, Fred, we are in the same ship again. My travels 
brought the social question forcibly to my attention. But I am 
hungry. Come with me to my hotel.” 

“Charley,” I said, “I hate hotels. Be you my guest.” 

“That depends, Fred, if you live in a barrel, like Diogenes 
or in the attic of an eight-story tenant house, I am sorry, I must 
decline. My trade and wanderings made me used to a high fash- 
ionable style.” 

“You are mistaken, old boy,” I remonstrated, “I offer you 
for residence a Palace in the principal streets of New Orleans 
with plenty of servants and every modern comfort. Make it your 
home, as long as you stay in the city.” 

“Of course I will, Fred. I congratulate you. Your phil- 
osophy was not so dry after all. It brought you a fortune.” 

“No Charley,” I answered, “not my philosophy but that of 
an old aunt of mine made me extremely wealthy. She got lonesome 
in her lod days and she sought me out to stay with her. She left me 
everything that belon^d to her.” 

Meantime, we had arrived at the gate. I hailed a bud-auto- 
mobile. I gave orders to the chauffeur to pass by Charley’s hotel 
and get his trunks there. We soon reached my residence. Sev- 
eral black servants came running to see whether they could be of 
any service. I directed them to bring Charley Stuart’s trunk and 
luggage into the first suite of rooms upstairs, while I accompanied 


A PERFECTLY SAFE AND CONTROLLABLE AIRSHIP 6 


him thither, that he might dress over for supper. I told him a 
servant would be in waiting for him to show him into the dining 
room. During the meal we chatted about the careless happiness 
of our past College life. 

The buoyancy, innocent mischief, and harmless pranks 
which enlivened the rather monotonous existence of the candidate 
for learning made the chief topic of our table talk. When the 
interior man got all he was craving for, we retired to my favorite 
spot, the Library. 

“Now, Charley/’ I began, “are you really the inventor of 
that magnificent airship you went up in this afternoon?” 

“Yes, you unbelieving Sage,” came back the answer with 
modest pride. 

“I saw that you had perfect control of it at the time. Are 
you sure you can keep up that control under any adverse circum- 
stance ?” 

“Yes, Mr. Philosopher,” was the jovial reply. “That is just 
what I want to prove to you tonight, and for good reasons, I want 
you to make a balloon trip with me tomorrow morning at eight 
o’clock sharp.” 

“I shall not risk my life for anybody,” I said decidedly. 

“I won’t, either, Fred,” was the quick response, “and cer- 
tainly I would not expose yours. That is why I am determined to 
convince you tonight of the perfect safety of my Airship. I 
know it will be hard work, but I am confident that you shall yield 
at last” 

“Go ahead, old boy,” I answered rather softly, “I listen.” 

“Now then, here goes my thesis,” began Charley with con- 
viction. 

CHAPTER II. 

A PERFECTLY SAFE AND CONTROLLABLE AIRSHIP 

“You know, Fred, what kind of a boy I was at our Alma 
Mater. I like more the Campus Field than the classroom. Mi. 
Fred Hartford, my wise Mentor, here present often times tried to 
check me in my sport. Sometimes he succeeded, sometimes he 
did not. Anyway, my kind Mentor, you did some good things for 
me. You infected me with some of your philosophical microbes, 
that I could never get rid of. When I was thrown into the cold 
world after completing my studies, I could not resist the 
attraction of ballooning, which just then had become the universal 
craze. I joined a ballooning club, became the most enthusiastic 
member, went wandering high in the sky at any occasion I found, 


6 A PERFECTLY SAFE AND CONTROLLABLE AIRSHIP 


I had several narrow escapes, but this merely seemed to stimulate 
my appetite as a flying man, until finally I broke both ribs and for 
a long time lingered at the door of death. When I recovered, I 
had sense enough left to keep away for the moment at least from 
such a dangerous field. I betook myself to my Tusculum in re- 
tirement. There I felt your philosophical microbes began to 
rouse my brains in earnest, and I commenced to study the thorny 
question, whether an airship could not be constructed which would 
entirely safe. I had first to discover a plausible theory and test it 
thoroughly.” 

I nodded approvingly, while Charley continued: 

“My theory is this: A bird keeps itself up in the air, be- 
cause by moving its wings, it displaces a greater weight of sur- 
rounding atmosphere than it weighs itself. As it makes 
longer or shorter strokes, it increases and decreases this displace- 
ment respectively. This made me think. The balloon, as it is 
commonly used, is only a partial substitute for the wings, it is sup- 
plemented by taking along ballast and the valve to let the gas es- 
cape. The throwing out of ballast is the longer stroke of the 
bird’s wings, and the Airship rises, the escape of gas is the shorter 
stroke and it goes lower. The metod is certainly a very bother- 
some and wasteful one. In my Airship I did away with both bal- 
last and escape of gas. To effect this, I reasoned thus: The gas 
in the balloon, whether contracted or expanded, retains the same 
weight, but not the same bulk or extension. By contracting the 
gas, imprisoned in the balloon, it will displace a lesser weight of 
atmosphere, so though it keeps the same weight itself. Conse- 
quently it will descend. By expanding the gas, it displaces more 
atmosphere, without increasing its own weight, and it has to rise. 
The great difficulty was to find ways and means to effect this with 
safety. I had to discover first a very pliable and very strong kind 
of canvass or stuff that could stand any amount of tension, with- 
out breaking. This I found after a great deal of trouble. For 
safety’s sake however my balloon has an inward and outward cov- 
er, to increase its resistance against extreme tension and make the 
contracting of the gas easier. I had to find now some device to 
contract the balloon to its least possible dimension. I imagined a 
funnel-shaped something with the thread of a screw inside, attach- 
ed to one pole of the balloon. If this could be made to turn the 
right way, when electrically connected with the motor in the ship, 
so to wind up the outward cover of the balloon more and more, and 
reduce the extension without any escape of gas, the balloon would 
go down. To let the airship rise again, I would only have to 


A PERFECTLY SAFE AND CONTROLLABLE AIRSHIP ? 


loosen the electric hold a little and the natural tendency of the 
contracted gas to expand would do the rest. The balloon would 
assume larger dimensions and lift the ship higher up. The final 
question now was to crystalize my idea. I had to do work by 
halves and I went directly to the greatest discoverer of the most 
daring modern inventions, Mr. Edison. I entered his Sanctum 
with trembling heart and hat in hand: 

“ ‘Mr. Edison, I wish to submit to your judgment the idea 
of a safe and controllable balloon/ ” 

“ ‘Oh, young man/ was his short reply, ‘if God wanted men 
to fly, He would have given him wings. There is something bet- 
ter for you to do in this world than that. If I would listen to all 
the foolish ideas with which they come to me, I had better close 
my Laboratory forever/ ” 

“ T will be brief, Mr. Edison. Give me only a couple of 
minutes of your valuable time. If you think my ideas impractica- 
ble, I shall not bother my head about it any longer/ ” 

“ ‘Go on then/ ” he muttered. 

“I related my idea, as briefly and distinctly as I was able. 
His severe eyes were fastened on me. Soon his countenance 
cleared up. He began to listen with the greatest attention. When 
I finished, he said with a smile: 

“ ‘Indeed, your idea has something new in it. Bring your 
canvass in to my Laboratory, and I shall see what I can make out 
of it/ ” / 

“I called my servant standing outside. “ ‘Here it is/ I said 
briefly. 

“When I left, he merely told me: 

“ ‘Come back within eight days/ 

“You may imagine that I did not forget the allotted time. 
My heart was throbbing with great expectation on my way to Edi- 
son’s workshop, and at the same time with fear for the final sen- 
tence of my severe judge. When I presented myself before him, 
he simply showed me my canvass lying on the floor. Between its 
poles I noticed something like a football, while each end presented 
a bushy tail of canvas. 

“ ‘Your balloon stuff is all right/ said Mr. Edison. ‘It will 
stand any amount of tension. Feel that football/ 

“I did so. It was as hard as a stone. 

“ ‘That football/ continued the Master, ‘contains all the gas 
you need to fiill your immense balloon. I had to make one cor- 
rection. You had only one funnel screw. This might be all 
right, where the pole opposite to the one funnel is fixed to some- 


8 A PERFECTLY SAFE AND CONTROLLABLE AIRSHIP 


thing stationary, so that the balloon could not turn at that pole. 
In that case your single funnel would drive the gas towards that 
pole, concentrate it there and lessen its volume without lessening 
its weight. It could not effect this in free air, where your oppo- 
site pole is attached to nothing. It would there make both poles 
turn the same way and the whole balloon to without any concen- 
tration whatever. If however you attach to each pole such a fun- 
nel turning against each other in different or opposite directions, 
the necessary effect will be that the gas is pushed and concentrated 
in the middle of that balloon canvass, whether in free air or not. 
When you lessen the screwing at one pole or at both the gas again 
will rush towards the point of loosening and assume more volume. 
Compression is not the natural state of gas and it will by itself re- 
sume its natural state. At the first chance it gets, it loosens by it- 
self the screw, if it can overcome the tightening. Now I shall 
make it work. 

“A little back of the train of canvass was a motor, a little 
machine of which I could certainly not give a definition. 
Mr. Edison put the electric current on. My football got life. It 
swelled up, lifted itself from the floor until it reached the high 
ceiling. All this was done by the funnel-shaped screws attached 
to the ball which retreated while the gas found room to expand 
within its prison. The balloon was held near the ceilnig, until the 
Electrician made the funnels turn the other way. The balloon de- 
scended at leisure, until it lay again motionless on the floor. 

“‘Are you satisfied?’ was Mr. Edison’s question. 

“‘Yes,’ I rejoined, ‘and I am infinitely grateful to you.’ 

“Without noticing my excitement, he showed me how ev- 
erything worked. 

“ ‘This,’ pointing to the strange machine behind, ‘is an ex- 
citer of electricity. You will need it on your travels through the 
sky, where, or anywhere near, you will not find an electric plant 
to replenish your battery, and here,’ he continued, handing me a 
big paper, ‘is a patent of your invention right straight from Wash- 
ington.’ 

“I was overwhelmed with emotion. 

“ ‘I will pay you any amount for your trouble,' I faltered, 
‘just name the figures.’ 

“ ‘Not at all,’ answered the good man, ‘I am old. I have 
more money than I need. You are young and may need it. As 
a token of my interest I make also a present to you of this motor 
and electric exciter, which I worked out especially for this pur- 
pose.’ 


My first ascent in the air 


9 


“He dismissed me with a hearty handshake.” 

“Brave Charley,” I broke in, “such an authority as Mr. Edi- 
son’s is worth a volume of dry arguments.” 

“Do not make me lose the thread of my thesis now, I am 
nearly through. Since that time I am the favorite of that mag- 
nanimous, unassuming genius, and found in him always a ready 
advisor. He even condescended to be present at the first test of 
my invention in the open air, and started himself the frenetic ap- 
plause. Do not think that this was the only test. To destroy all 
your scruples of conscience, I add, that many times I crossed the 
ocean in my airship and even went in it far beyond the clouds and 
never had the least accident or mishap. I feel safer in my flying 
canoe than on the train or the steamboat.” 

“I will share your sky-stroll tomorrow, you invincible 
tempter,” was my conclusion. 

“Thank you, old man,” was the cheerful return, looking at 
his watch. “But it is more than time to go to bed. Let us re- 
tire.” 

So we did. 


CHAPTER III. 

MY FIRST ASCENT IN THE AIR 

Next morning we were early birds. I gave instructions to 
my chauffeur to have my automobile in readiness after breakfast 
to drive to the Park. On our way Charley informed me that he 
was booked to make an ascension at eight o’clock. 

“I must work my airship straight up,” he explained, “five 
miles into the heavens, then turn off towards the ocean to where 
a steamboat is stationed five miles off shore and then return as I 
please, provided that I am back at nine o’clock and come straight 
down again on my starting point. But, Fred, I do not do that 
for nothing. There is a price of twenty-five thousand dollars at 
stake and I am sure to win. I need some pocket money anyway, 
but you must take half of the price. You share in the fun, you 
shall share in the profits too.” 

“No, never, you foolish boy. I have more of that stuff 
than I know what to do with.” 

“Oh, oh, Fred, why all these wise heads try to make a spoil- 
ed boy out of me, with their magnanimity. I trust I’ll find an op- 
portunity in the future to repay them for it and get even.” 

At this juncture the chauffeur stopped the vehicle. 

“Here we are,” said Charley, alighting. “Look at my rig- 


10 


MY FIRST ASCENT IN THE AIR 


gings there and satisfy your critical eye.” 

All I saw was a confused pile of queer canvass, anchored to 
the ground, a light boat, that could contain several persons. A 
motor and a hand dynamo was in the boat. 

“The balloon must be filled with gas,” explained Charley, 
“to its full capacity, before I can put in my work, and hence the 
anchors, that it should not escape me. I ordered the balloon to 
be connected with the Gasplant.” 

The canvass felt the breath of life and began to wriggle 
like a giant snake, while her dimensions increased, the balloon 
grew more active, restless and impatient to break loose from her 
fetters. She was indeed a monster in size, when filled with gas 
to her full capacity. 

“I shall begin now to subdue that monster,” muttered 
Charley. “The funnel screw and electricity will do it.” 

He put on a strong current. The screws turned rapidly 
towards each other in the opposite direction. The gas retreated 
to the center of its prison, as if ashamed to be vanquished so eas 
ily. At last the immense bulk was concentrated into a ball about 
twice the size of an ordinary football. The anchors were lifted and 
removed and the elephant of a moment ago lay lifeless and hipless 
again as a stone. 

“It is time now to embark,” said Charley to me. “A minute 
to eight,” as he looked at his time-piece. 

Just at this moment the members of the Committee ap- 
proached and handed over to Charley a document with a weight 
on it that he had to transfer to the Captain of the steamboat, 
which would be the terminus of our trip. We embarked. Char- 
ley began gradually to weaken the current. The compressed gas got 
some life again, drove the funnels slowly back, took possession of 
the room so gained and lifted up its head in triumph. The Park 
was literally one continuous mass of humanity. 

We ascended high into the sky. A cry of good luck sound- 
ed from one end of the Park to the other. Hats flew high over 
the heads of the crowd. A clapping of hands, a waving of hand- 
kerchiefs. All this made me forget the danger and drove every 
kind of fear from my mind. We were now far above the beautiful 
Queen of the Gulf. But what charming bird’s view I enjoyed of 
my beloved New Orleans. All this occupied my attention so much 
that I did not notice it, when Charley turned off towards the 
ocean. I was only reminded of this when I heard the noisy waves 
miles beneath my feet. I looked down. I nearly became diz- 
zy from the bright rays of our Southern sun, reflected by these 


MY FIRST ASCENT IN THE AIR 


11 


waves in my eyes. Suddenly I felt we were sinking. 

“Oh, Charley, I cried, “are we going to the bottom of the 

Sea ?” 

“No,” he replied, “do not you see that Steamer beneath us? 
That is our Terminus. There I must report.” 

That Steamer looked to me like a toy-boat. Lilliputian 
saliors were running hither and thither, waving little baby hands 
and caps. All this became greater and stouter as we went lower, 
until a pretty good sized Steamer showed herself to our gaze, 
manned with rough and burly seamen. A roaring applause now 
rent the air formidable enough to scare the sharks back into the 
deep. Charley meantime circled three times around the boat. 
Then he threw the Committee’s document with its weight on the 
deck of the Steamcraft, while the Captain, with a long pole, hand- 
ed his own paper to Charley as a proof that everything was all 
right. 

“I congratulate you, Mr. Stuart,” said the Captain, at the 
same time. You are a splendid sky-scraper, but I bet you fifty 
dollars that I will be in port before you.” 

“You will surely lose it, Captain,” said Charley softly. 

“Never mind,” came back the curt answer of the seaman. 
“Do you accept it?” 

“Let it be then,” replied Charley, and up we flew again. 
The Captain put on full steam at once. With mighty strides did 
the ship cleave the powerful waves. The Captain had constantly 
pointed his Telescope towards us. We were at a pretty good 
height again, when Charley turned the airship towards the East. 

“Are we going to London or Paris?” I muttered. 

“Hush, Fred, I must have some fun with that braggert of a 
Captain.” 

Soon the Steamboat slackened her speed. Charley noticed 
it. 

“That is right,” he cried. “That fellow would have risked 
his whole ship and several lives, including his own, for fifty dol- 
lars that he will never gain anyhow.” 

By this time we were out of sight. 

“I’ll turn right around,” said Charley, “and steer directly 
to New Orleans.” 

So he did, and a quarter to nine we were descending again 
from the clouds, this time though to the grassy plot in the Park. 
Quite a number of the crowd had left not expecting us back so 
soon. A couple of the Committee men were present to accept 
the ship-Captains testimonials. Charley hurried up to relieve the 


12 


MY FIRST ASCENT IN THE AIR 


balloon of its straining gas and store everything away in the near- 
by warehouse. 

“Now let us go to the nearest restaurant/’ said Charley, “I 
am hungry and thirsty and I need some rest. That Captain will 
not be back before ten o’clock.” 

So we did, and returned at a quarter to ten. We closed 
ourselves up in the warehouse, waiting events. At about ten ws 
heard a horse galloping in full speed towards the warehouse. 

“That is the Captain,” whispered Charley. “Attention, 
Fred, while peeping through the window.” 

The rider scanned the grassy space, where the balloon 
should have been. 

“Not here yet,” he vociferated with triumphant gesticula- 
tions. “Hurrah ! The flying man lost the bet. He is not master yet 
of the sky.” 

Charley suddenly opened the door and appeared on the 
threshold. 

“What do you mean, Captain ?” he said cooly. 

“Hum,” grumbled the Captain. “You here, Mr. Stuart? I 
am dumbfounded. I thought you lost your bearings and imag- 
ined you might be by now half to Paris or Queenstown. So I 
did not see any need for hurrying up.” 

Here Charley could not help breaking out into a merry 
laughter. 

“You scoundrel,” continued the Blue-jacket, “you fooled 
me. Never mind, you did it right. You are a greater genius than 
I thought you were. I am afraid, pretty soon you will bring the 
whole Ocean Fleet to a forced strike, and we, poor Sea stragglers, 
will be out of a job. Say, Mr. Stuart, take me as an apprentice, 
that I may be an air Captain, before it goes so far.” 

“No danger,” consoled Charley, “I hardly believe the air- 
ship will ever entirely supplant the huge Ocean steamer with its 
immense cargoes. At any rate the steamer will last longer than 
your lifetime.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Stuart,” rejoined the Captain meekly, 
“Here are your fifty dollars.” 

“No, no,” said Charley, “it was only a joke.” 

“No matter, I lost it,” and the Captain threw a bundle of 
bank-notes to Charley, jumping on his steed and rode off at a 
faster gait even than he had come. 


A CHALLENGE FROM SAN FRANCISCO 


13 


CHAPTER IV. 

A CHALLENGE FROM SAN FRANCISCO. 

At dinner that day Charley was flowing over with his old 
boyish but pleasing mischief. He was just half through cracking 
some jokes on my rusty philosophy, when Jack, my black errand 
boy, entered the dining room. He made a big bow before Charley. 

“Massey Stuart," he said, “here am a telegram for your 
Honor" 

Charley opened it and read: 

San Francisco, June the 12th, 1904. 
To MR. CHARLES STUART, 

New Orleans. 

On the 24th of June, a prize ascension will take place here. 
$100,000 for him who reaches the greatest height. Santos Dumont 
will be here with his Airship. We want you too. Do you accept? 

GEORGES BUSHMAN, Chairman of Committee. 

“That tickles me," muttered Charley. “Santos Dumont is 
not an easy match. But that is just what I want. Fred," he 
said, turning towards me, “did you enjoy your trip this morning?" 

“Immensely," was my answer. 

“Go with me then to San Francisco. I'll make you go 
higher than your philosophy could ever bring you. Moreover I 
am sure I shall be in need sometimes of your wise head." 

“Well, joker, I shall wander through the skies with you 
once more. I hope you won’t drag me to the Moon." 

“Thank you, Fred, so I take up the challenge. Never mind 
the Moon, though. If we land there, you will find a new field for 
your transcendant thoughts." 

He took a piece of paper and wrote : 

“I accept the contest." 

“Where is Jack?" he said. 

The dusky boy had retired back of Charley, and during the 
discussion was grinning and smiling and always rolling his white 
eyeballs. Hearing the call, he answered meekly : 

“Here I is, Sah," and came forward with great solemnity 
and obsequiousness. 

“Is the messenger gone, Jack?" queried Charley. 

“Yes, Sah," was the Negro’s reply, “he has done gone." 

“Take this then yourself to the Telegraph Office." 

He handed his paper to the boy with a dollar. 

“Keep the change for yourself, but be quick," 


14 


A CHALLENGE FROM SAN FRANCISCO 


Jack was in the street in the twinkling of the eye. 

“Now, Charley/' I began, “how shall we go to San Fran- 
cisco? In the train or the Airship?” 

“In the Airship, of course. That’s safer and more comfort- 
able.” 

Two days after we were roaming again above the clouds on 
our way to the Pacific Coast. It was a true bee line without any 
obstruction. During our journey, we descended only twice to get 
a decent night rest. On these occasions the canoe was our bed 
either with the starry heavens as a canopy or hidden in the tall 
grass of the prairie. At the end of three days our Airship was 
fluttering above the immense and wonderful Park of San Fran- 
cisco. It was just after sundown. Charley displayed his aeron- 
autic skill. The Park was filled with the Elite of the great city 
seeking the cool evening breeze. They all ran in haste to the; spot 
towards which our Airship was descending, like a huge bomb fall- 
ing from the sky at an easy gait. We were received with unbound- 
ed enthusiasm and pressed with questions. But Charley was quick 
storing his flying machine in the shed nearby. There we found 
another Airship. We examined it carefully. The funnel feature 
of ours was missing in it, but there were characteristics in it that 
were not in ours. 

“That must be Santos Dumont’s outfit,” remarked Charley. 

Charley was well acquainted with the city: We went to 
the street and took a cab to the European Hotel. We partook of 
a square meal that night and retired to our rooms. The European 
Hotel was a grand concern. It harboured between its walls guests 
from every quarter of the world. Any kind of civilized language 
was heard there. The porters and servants were marvels of lin- 
guistic learning. If they had not the gift of tongues from the 
Holy Ghost, it was something akin to it. After breakfast next 
morning we retired to the sumptuous Sitting Room to look over 
the morning papers. These were overflowing with sensational 
and phantastic rumors about the contest. At that moment we 
overheard a party at the further end of the room warmly discus- 
sing the matter. One of the debaters spoke with a pronounced 
French accent: 

“Ou iz zat Mr. Stuart?” I heard him ask. “Iz e an Ameri- 
can or an Anglichman?” 

“An American, of course,” was the response pronounced 
with the rattling sound of the North. 

We accosted the party. 

“May I ask you, Gentlemen, whether Santos Dumont has 


A CHALLENGE FROM SAN FRANCISCO 


IS 


arrived in the city?” 

Our Frenchman jumped to his feet. 

“Ere e iz,” he said with a solemn gesture, “zat most famous 
Aeronaut of ze world.” 

“Mr. Dumont,” I enterposed, “I make you acquainted with 
your worthy rival, Mr. Charles Stuart.” 

“And I,” stepped in Charley, “introduce to you Mr. Freder- 
ick Hardfordt, the profound but incorrigible Philosopher.” 

“And I,” jumped in Mr. Santos Dumont, “I have the honor 
t omake you familiar with Mr. Clemenceau, the best known man in 
France, the great Social Reformer.” 

A general handshaking ensued, and we paired off. Charley 
and Dumont talked Airships, while Clemenceau took hold of me. 
I was disposed to follow the current. 

“Do you speak French?” was the first query of the French- 
man. 

“Yes,” I answered, in French. “I spent three years in 
Paris to get conversant in it.” 

The ice was broken. I could not prevent him from embrac- 
ing me in true Parisian style. 

“Oh!” he ejaculated, your English tongue was never intend- 
ed for a Frenchman. I am so happy to find an American speak- 
ing our language with a perfect Parisian accent. I came to this 
Paradise of the brave and the free to study the social question. I 
suppose that you, as a Philosopher, you did not remain indifferent 
in that vital problem.” 

“No, certainly not. Of late I took a great deal of pains in 
mastering it.” 

“Good,” he replied. “I presume you have quite a number 
of Socialistic members in your Congress.” 

“Not one that I know of.” 

“You astonish me. I supposed that the United States was 
ruled under the immortal principles of the great French Revolu- 
tion: Equality, Fraternity, Liberty.” 

“So it does,” was my phlegmatic answer. “Equality be- 
fore the law. Fraternity between ourselves. Liberty with order 
and justice.” 

“Are there no Socialists among the Common people?” 

“A few, and among them a number of foreigners. They 
have no influence on the general public.” 

“How is that?” 

“Well, it must be that they do not understand socialism or 


18 


A €BALLJENGB FROM SAN FRANCISCO 


that they do not like the socialistic methods of action.” 

"Sure enough, the true Yankee has too much proctical sense 
to go by dreams. His Motto is : ‘Better one partridge in the fry- 
ing pan than a hundred flying about/ ” 

This last remark wrung a hearty laugh from Mr. Cteraen- 
ceau. I continued: 

"But as you are known as the leader of Socialism in France, 
Mr. Clemenceau, 1 vvoud like to hear from your own lips a distinct 
and clear exposition of the socialistic system/’ 

"We may discuss it/’ he answered with French politeness, 
"Well then,” he began: 

"Every member of the human community has an equal right 
to all that makes this physical life of ours comfortable and easy.” 

"Of course,” I assented, "but that all does not fall from 
Heaven. Man has to work hard to get it. Every one has a per- 
fect right to be rich, provided he becomes so by honest means.” 

"True Socialism wants honest means, Mr. Hartfordt, and 
no robbery. Its aim is to inaugurate and maintain among man- 
kind an individual equality of all things that make mortal life en- 
joyable. It intends to do this through the agency of a lawful 
Government. You must know, I am no Anarchist. Anarchism 
would be the reign of brutal force. The strongest would be the 
wealthiest. We want order and peace in our socialistic commu- 
nity.” 

"These sentiments honor you,” I interrupted, "but by what 
right shall your Socialistic Government establish that equality of 
wealth on which you base your system ?” 

"This right, Mr. Hardfordt, follows directly from the na- 
ture of the Socialistic Government itself. It could not establish 
nor keep up that equality unless it had that right.” 

"I am afraid, Mr. Clemenceau, that you suppose what ought 
first to be proved to wit : That such equality is of absolute neces- 
sity for the existence of human society. That right you attribute 
to your Socialistic Government, includes a full and general owner- 
ship of anything of value for physical life/' 

"Yes,” answered Mr. Clemenceau, "else the Government 
could not act without robbing the right of the owner. Private 
property is abolished for the good of all/' 

"The general idea of civil Government/ 1 I insisted, "does 
not include such ownership. It eicdudes it. Governments were 


A CHALLENGE FROM SAN FRANCISCO 


17 


founded by men to protect their individual lives and properties. If 
it were not for that, we would have no use for any civil Govern- 
ment at all. But you see this necessarily supposes private proper- 
ty. All States are based on this principle. There is no record of 
any Socialistic Government in the entire history of humanity.'’ 

“I deny that/* he put in rather warmly. The private prop- 
erty of today is only so through the will of the Government." 

‘Then," I added, "the French Government could justly 
take from you for instance the half of your possessions and give 
it to the poor fellows that possess less than you." 

"That would be unjust," said the Frenchman, "unless the 
State acted in the same manner with other citizens." 

"Unfair, perhaps," I replied, "but not unjust. The State 
would merely dispose of its own property." 

A cloud came over Clemenceau's face. He seemed to be 
perplexed. Suddenly he jumped up from his chair, gesticulating 
with both arms. 

"You Yankees," he sputtered, "you are so horribly practi- 
cal, that you may talk an Angel out of Heaven, but now I have got 
it." And triumph brightened up his countenance. "Do not all 
nations, do not you yourself admit, Mr. Hartfordt, that any and 
all independent States are by their own nature invested with what 
is called ‘eminent Domain?’ And is this not the same as a gener- 
al ownership of anything valuable in the land?" 

"Eminent Domain," I insisted, is not property at all in- 
vested in the State. On the contrary, it denies emphatically that 
the Government enjoys any ‘a priori’ property derived from its 
nature. It presupposese private property. Eminent Domain is 
the right of the States to impose a forced sale of any private own- 
er, if his property is needed for public use or utility. The State 
has to indemnify him and commonly gives him a better price than 
he could get from anybody else." 

I noticed here, not a smile but a mild grin on Clemenceau’s 
face. I continued: 

"Even granted, that your Socialistic State is fully equipped 
with that general ownership, will it have the result you expect 
from it? I am afraid not. No Government is a producer. All 
products come from the hands of individual citizens. Strange to 
say, but nature hardly brings forth anything for man spontaneous* 
ly, which is fit to eat. For brute animals, nature is more generous 
and supplies them with all they need without any work on their 
part. For men, Mother Earth seems to be a cursed soil. At the 
sweat of our brow have we to squeeze out of her bosom what we 


A CHALLENGE FROM SAN FRANCISCO 


18 


need for our maintenance and comfort. Now, man does not work 
precisely for the fun of the thing. He rather takes it easy and 
will only labor when he has to, or sees advantage in it for himself. 
If he knows before that the products of his hands or indus- 
try are not his but the State’s that they may be taken from him at 
any moment for your equalizing system, given to others, who are 
less industrious or too lazy to work themselves, this destroys all 
personal initiative and exertion. What will be the consequence? 
In order to prevent general famine and starvation, your Socialis- 
tic State shall have to compel every one to a certain amount of 
labour. This means general slavery with the Government Offi- 
cials as slaveholders. Starvation or slavery, take your choice, 
that is the final outcome of your Socialism.” 

“Pshaw!” exclaimed Clemenceau, “you are too strong or 
too practical. Things will not go that way in My France. 
Through socialism alone France can arise again to the summit 
of its former glory. It will be again model State the leader and 
saviour of humanity. Vive la France Socialiste.” 

At that moment I saw Charley and Dumont re-enter the 
sitting-room. I did not notice that they had been absent. Du- 
mont must have overheard the last patriotic battle cry of Clemen- 
^.eau, as he said: 

“Never mind that outburst of Mr. Clemenceau. He is not 
such a radical Socialist as he appears to be. He is a model hus- 
band, a kind father. His wife is effectionately devoted to him. 
She is a strict and practical Catholic. To her he leaves the educa- 
tion of his children.” 

“Why,” broke in Mr. Clemenceau, “why must you tell out 
of school ? Certainly, my wife, though a Catholic, is the best wo- 
man in the whole world, and an angel of purity, and the fittest to 
educate my children. When grown up, however, I will trim the 
education of my boys in order that they co-operate with me in the 
restoration of France to its old standpoint among civilized na- 
tions.” 

“Now, now,“ said Dumont, “an automobile is standing 
ready before the hotel. Come and take a stroll with us through 
this magnificent city. It will distract both of you and cool you off 
a little after a heated discussion.” 

“Come along, Mr. Hartfordt,” said Clemenceau, while he 
took my arm. “You are an invincible philosopher, but that trip 
will us good.” And arm in arm we stepped to the auto.” 


LOST BETWEEN THE PLANETS 


1$ 


CHAPTER V. 

LOST BETWEEN THE PLANETS. 

During our short stay in the grand and cosmopolitan City 
on the borders of the Pacific, Mr. Clemenceau was for me an 
amiable and constant companion, a staunch and delightful friend. 
His kindness for me had no bounds, Charley and Mr. Dumont 
were kept constantly busy in overlooking, overhauling, and im- 
proving their Airships in every detail to make them entirely trust- 
worthy for the great voyage. The newspapers filled column after 
column about the coming contest. All its ins and outs of these 
articles were embellished with marvelous exaggerations, profound 
speculations and wonderful possibilities created by the powerful 
brains of the writers. The eve before the contest, I went to bed 
rather tired and was plunged into many dreams perahps mor* 
wonderful than those published in the newspapers. I relate only 
one out of many. We came into the attraction of the Moon. All 
we could do was to land on it. We were soaring over one of 
those black holes, which Astronomers tell us with full conviction, 
are the craters of old volcanoes, that stopped working a few mil- 
lions of years ago. Our Airship went right straight into that cra- 
ter. The bottom, however, of that hole was an interminable 
green and delightful valley encircled by the high ridges of a chain 
of mountains. As soon as we were on a level with the summits, 
I noticed an infiinite number of little living things running up from 
the bottom of the valley along the slope of the mountains. At first 
I could hardly make out what they were, but as we went lower, 
they went higher, and at last I got a clear view of them. They 
were little bits of humanity not larger than my thumb. They 

made the effect on me as the nicest little dolls I ever put eyes on. 

Only they were living and very active. Seeing that we went lower 
and lower to the bottom, they went down, too, and kept pace with 
us. We reached ground at last. Millions of these thumb-men 
were waiting there for us. They seemed greatly agitated. To my 

ears they all talked at once, but with the utmost vivacity. It all 

sounded to me like soft, sweet music. The pretty things were too 
small to climb into our boat singly, but they formed ladders of 
themselves over which they were climbing into it on all sides. At 
this juncture I was unpitifully roused into reality by a thundering 
and repeated knocking on my door. 

“Fred,” I heard Charley yelling, “are you dead ?” 

“Me? I don’t know,” I answered feebly. I am sure I was 
in another world. 

“Get up then at once, if you are alive. We have just time 


20 


LOST BETWEEN THE PLANETS 


to breakfast and start for the Park/' 

I had rubbed my eyes several times before I was fully 
awake. It did not take long to hurry up to the Park. We arrived 
in the nick of time, a quarter of an hour only before we had to 
leave this Earth. But everything was in readiness, we had only to 
-embark. All San Francisco had turned out to witness our de- 
parture. We shook hands with Mr. Dumont and Mr. Clemen- 
ceau and all took their seats in their respective Airships. At last 
the sign of departure was given. The trumpet sounded. It sent 
a trembling through my whole being, as if it had been the trumpet 
at the last day of Judgment. My dream haunted me still. Hardly 
had the trumpet's sound vanished into space, when two Airships 
at a sufficient distance from each other began to move upward, 
ours in a straight line, Dumont’s in the majestic flight of a stork. 
An aged man with prominent Irish features standing near our 
boat and watching the proceedings with intense interest when he 
saw us flying up, he yelled to me : 

“Say, Partner, if you reach the gates of Heaven, speak a 
good word for me to St. Peter. I need it." 

A last farewell to Mother Earth and the stormy crowds be- 
neath our feet, and we were fluttering high above the Metropolis 
of the Pacific Coast, while that mighty Ocean itself was spreading 
before our gaze his immense expanse in the glorious light of the 
morning Sun. I looked at our rival’s Airship. 

“They are drifting already over the Sea," I remarked to 
Charley. 

That’s all right," he replied. “Dumont is able to take care 
of his craft." 

Soon land and water disappeared from our view. Even 
Dumont’s Balloon was out of sight. Nothing else than the trans- 
parent sky all around. 

“Fred," muttered Charley, “I’ll give you a job. You pay 
attention to that instrument there, they call it a ‘Height Meter.' " 

I had not taken time yet to notice it. 

“How much does it register just now?" 

“Thirty miles," I answered. 

“Well, Fred, I have not much confidence in the exactness of 
that tool, but I have to go by it for the victory." 

Higher and higher we went. 

“How is the instrument now?" Charley asked. 

“Thirty-four miles," I replied. 

“Hum," grumbled Charley, “we’ve made sursely fifteen 
miles since it registered thirty. But, Fred, I must propose a dif- 


LOST BETWEEN THE PLA.NKT3 


2i 


ficult question to you. Why is it that the higher I go the less ad- 
ditional expansion I must give to my Balloon for the same addi- 
tional increase in height?” 

“That is quite simple,” was my answer. The higher your 
Balloon, the farther from the earth the less influence the earthly 
attraction can exercise upon it, the less counter force you need to 
overcome this smaller attraction and go higher.” 

That is,” explained Charley in paradoxical style, “I need 
less rope to make the same distance.” 

“Well done, Master,” he added. “You deserve the title of 
Doctor Magnus. This time I must try my Balloon to its full ex- 
pansion. It is now only one-third of that. So there it goes.” 

And up we flew, and higher we soared, until bum, 

bum ! the Balloon first, then our canoe bumped against something, 
and we were thrown back, dancing and jumping for a few min- 
utes, then both settled down motionless. 

Charlie’s face looked perplexed and pale. He threw a 
scrutinizing eye over the whole rigging. 

“Nothing broken,” he exclaimed,” but what was that? It 
was certainly a hard collision, Fred. Did you see Dumont’s Air- 
ship around here?” 

“No, that is not it Charley.” 

“What is it, then. Explain, if you can.” 

“I 1 am afraid, we are imprisoned,” I replied with a 

long breath.” 

“Imprisoned in mid-air,” echoed Charley. How so?” 

“Well,” 1 continued, “I fear we are where the attraction of 
at least two Planets meet each other with equal strength and com- 
mit suicide. It is about the same as if you hitch two horses to a 
wagon, one in front and one at the back. Let those pull with 
equal force and they will never move the wagon an inch. The 
wagon is a prison between the two steeds.” 

“That is rather too plain,” muttered Charley gloomily. “TO 
try anyhow, whether I can get up or down.” 

He tried without the least result. 

“We are helpless,” he cried in despair.” Up in these high 
regions we must remain until the most horrible sufferings of 
starvation end in death.” 

He shuddered at the idea. 

“Oh, Fred,” he pleaded, “I am sorry that I ever enticed you 
into this adventure.” 

“Never mind, my friend,” I said soothingly. “We are in 
the same boat. You could not have foreseen this. Whatever 


22 


LOST BETWEEN THE PLANETS 


may happen let us abandon ourselves into the hands of Divine 
Providence. With a little change we may repeat here that sublime 
petition of the Lord’s Prayer : Thy will be done in these heavens, 
as it is on Earth/ You know moreover the deep, profound and a 
wise proverb of our old Saxon Ancestors: ‘Where the need is 
highest, God is nighest/ ” 

Meantime night added to our gloom. Not the dimmest 
ray of hope pierced through the black Ocean of darkness, that 
surrounded us on all sides. 

It is true, the sky was clear, the stars shone bright and 
twinkled continuously as to mock us. 

“Shall we ever reach any of them, Fred?” I heard Charley 

say. 

“Let us not despair, Charley, let God do with us just as He 
pleases.” 

“Fred,” I heard my companion say, “there is no use of 
fretting. Let Divine Providence do with us as it pleases, but 
I am hungry. I will light the electric lamp, and we shall take a 
rough repast. What do you think about that?” 

“All right,” I replied, “I’ll play the butler.” 

We ate with a sound appetite after all, our stomachs did not 
seem to partake in our gloom. After supper I threw empty cans 
and bottles out of the boat. They, too, performed a little dance 
and quieted down hanging on nothing in mid-air. 

“Let us find some solace in sleep,” I suggested to my friend. 
“Our Airship will not run away now.” 

So we did. 

Next morning we awoke quite refreshed. Old Sol showed 
his large and brilliant head just on the edge of the eastern horizon 
and seemed to say: ‘Courage, my children, you are still in my 
domains.’ ” 

“Charley,” I whispered, “if you can not break the rival at- 
tractions let us make a stroll between them. It will afford us a 
diversion at least.” 

We strayed aimless until the early afternoon. No change 
in scenery, until then. Just now appeared in the far distance a 
flashing, which in the South would be termed Summer Lightning. 
We did not pay much attention to it until a soft breeze reached us 
from that point. Soon it became a magnificent fire work. From 
a powerful center unaccountable bundles of electric sparks were 
thrown out, making all kinds of phantastic figures. We were 
spellbound. We noticed now, it sped towards us with incredible 
velocity and before our bewildered eyes towered a whirling col- 


ON OUR WAY TO A NEW PLANET 


23 


umn of air or something similar with immense dimensions. We 
could see neither the beginning nor the end of it. But its diame- 
ter must have been several miles in length, turning in spirlas from 
bottom to top. The thing grew terrific. 

“Let us flee/’ said Charley, “before we are swallowed up.” 

He tried to reverse the Machine. Too late. Our boat was 
already in a whirling wind and made slow circles with its length 
as diameter, and constantly attracted by the column, that moved 
towards us with extreme swiftness. We threw ourselves down, as 
by instinct in the bottom of the boat and recommended our souls 
to God. 

At last, in addition to the turning we felt an upward motioa 
What further happened, neither of us can tell, as we became both 
unconscious. 


CHAPTER VI. 

ON OUR WAY TO A NEW PLANET. 

When I recovered consciousness, our boat was turning still, 
but with moderate rapidity. I saw the column disappearing to 
the West. At the same moment I felt as if I was going to drop 
from the boat into space, when suddenly our canoe toppled over, 
bottom up. It had in no time made a half circle with the beam as 
its diameter. I felt as steady again as before. I looked out now 
for my companion. He was still lying prostrate and unconscious 
before my feet. I roused him with difficulty. 

“Where — where — am I?” he ejaculated. 

“We are alright again, Charley,” I said. “Get up and try 
whether you can manage your Airship again.” 

He had become himself again, jumped up and tried to raise 
and lower the Airship. 

“Hurrah! I am master of my Airship once more. We 
shall return to San Francisco now.” 

“You can not,” was my laconic response. 

“Why not?” he asked, with great surprise. “The boat did 
not change position. Its bottom is still towards Mother Earth.” 

“Here it is, what I say. Our boat turned bottom up and 
must be in the attraction of another Planet.” 

I related to my companion what happened. 

“That’s all nonsense,” said Charley. “We both would have 
been precipitated into space.” 

“Not necessarily,” I ventured to say. “You see, that col- 
umn took us out of the Earth’s attraction with its terrific force* 


24 


ON OUR WAT TO A NEW PLANET 


that laughed at all planetary attraction. When we escaped from 
its bosom our boat did not lose at once the force imparted to it by 
the swaying and upward motion of that column, these, however, 
could last only a moment. The planetary attraction got the best 
of it, the Balloon went up in triumph. The boat righted itself to 
the new law. It was all done so quickly, that we had no time to 
fall out of the boat.” 

“How long were we imprisoned in that terrible column?” 
queried Charley anew. 

“I don’t know that any more than you,” I said. 

“It must have been quite a long time, Fred, for I am hun- 
gry like a wolf,” rejoined Charley. “Is there something in the 
pantry, butler?” 

“Yes,” I replied. “And eat heartily.” 

“It will not last long now, before some land and — and — ” 
broke in Charley, piously: God’s Providence everywhere shows 
itself. To what Planet are we drifting?” asked Charley. 

“I can not say, old boy,” I answered. 

No matter,” he replied, full of cheer. “Better any kind of 
Planet than to starve up here.” 

That day we traveled at a pretty fast rate without anything 
of a nearer approach to our new Planet. The Sun had gone down 
in His purple and scarlet wrapping. Twilight had dwindled away. 
The flickering and dancing stars pierced the darkness. 

“But — . What is that?” we chorused Charley and myself. 

Two Moons became visible : One already on its way towards 
the Zenith, the other just emerging from the airy and uncertain 
waves of the Eastern horizon. Night had become as bright as 
daylight under a covered sky. 

“Can you make any conclusion from this novel scene?” 
queried Charley. 

“It does not tell us,” I replied, “to what Planet we are 
drifting.” 

Our attention was entirely absorbed by the strange sight of 
two Moons racing in the heavens, when a third one appeared in 
the wake of the second. Our expectation had reached its 
climax. 

“We may soon get a forth one,” I whispered. 

Our eyes were riveted to the East. This lasted quite awhile 
and nothing more came in sight. Charley got impatient. 

I do not expect a fourth Moon. I think three is enough, 
too. Can you make out now, Fred, where we are in the heavens?” 

“Not with these three Moons, Charley.” 


OUR NEW ACQUAINTANCE WITH JUPITER 


25 


Hardly had I finished my sentence, when the Eastern hor- 
izon disgorged a fourth Moon. 

“That is right,” I exclaimed, "it gives us our bearings.” 

“Perahps the procession is not finished” yet,” put in Char- 
ity* 

“I am sure this Moon closes it, Charley. Guess now, 
where we are.” 

My friend scratched his head. 

“I was once quite a little astronomer, Fred, I ought to know 
it. By jove, I have got it. Excuse my pagan language, but it 
brought out some old remembrance. Jove is derived from Jupiter. 
We are going to the Planet Jupiter. Am I right?” 

“Perfectly, Charley. You go to the head of the class.” 


CHAPTER VII. 

OUR FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH JUPITER. 

We knew now whither we were going. Our hearts were 
throbbing with intense expectation for the strange things to come. 
We were so busy with our own thoughts that for awhile no word 
was uttered. 

“Fred,” broke in my friend, “I have been ransacking my 
brains for old memories. It is quite clear now to me that Jupiter 
must be an enormous Planet. Thirteen thousand times the size of 

the Earth.” 

“That’s what astronomers claim,” I answered. 

“But,” he continued, “on account of its less density, its con- 
tents are only about three hundred times those of the Earth.” 

“Correct, Captain, but it is not Gospel truth.” 

“Let this be as it may, you punctilious criticizer, I stand this 
time on the side of the Astronomers. It suits me better. So then 
I consider Jupiter as a stupendous sponge. This will give a nice, 
soft bed to rest our tired limbs on, when we arrive there tonight.” 

“Provided,” I completed, “the holes in this sponge are no 
craters of old extinguished volcanoes. We have to take it as it 
comes along, hard or soft. Let us hope for the best.” 

“Only one thing I regret,” began my companion again. “II 
is, that I did not bring the 'Stars and Stripes' with me.” 

“What can Uncle Sam do with such a far off Planet, thir- 
teen thousand times as large as the Earth, I say?” 

“Oh, well, if nothing else,” concluded Charley, “Uncle Sant 
can surely make a big bluff of it. But I see my Balloon is getting 


26 


OUR NEW ACQUAINTANCE WITH JUPITER 


rather small. We must not be very far now from our new home. 
Fred, you keep a sharp lookout, while I pilot my ship. 

It did not last long, when a joyful duet rang fortissimo into 
the air: “Land! Land!” 

Yes, there he was beneath our feet, the grand Jupiter swim- 
ming in the soft light of its glorious satelites. 

“I hear the rush of waves, too,” I remarked to my compan- 
ion. “I hope we are not over an interminable Ocean.” 

“It is only a large river,” explained Charley. “I distin- 
guish both banks.” 

The stream was entirely straight in both directions, as far 
as I could see. It was fringed on both sides with groves, which 
seemed to be planted in regular rows, like the orange orchards in 
Florida’s orange belt. While I was enjoying this familiar scene, 
a big shadow interposed between my eyes and one of the setting 
Moons. It was a gigantic bird crossing the river on its wings. 
The wings were of an enormous size, while I estimated its body 
to be about ten feet from tip to tip. 

“Oh, Charley,” I exclaimed, “look at that giant of a bird 
flying over the river.” 

“Yes,” he answered, “but it has four legs.” 

I had not noticed that, in my surprise, as it was a pretty 
good distance. Meantime the strange bird had reached the other 
shore and disappeared between the trees. Our Airship, too, was 
fluttering a little above the trees and my Captain was manoeuver- 
ing in search of a clearance convenient to ground the Balloon. 
This was soon found in an opening fronting on the stream. At 
last we set foot on solid ground once more. What a pisturesque 
landscape was stretching out before us. In front an immense 
stream with the shady background of the groves on the opposite 
bank. The three Moons still shining above gave it all the most 
charming aspect. Their brilliant rays transformed the translucent 
mirror of the water into a bed of sparkling and dancing diamonds. 
From the spot where we descended we had a free sight through 
the long rows of trees that fringed the clearance nearly all around. 
No underbrush, the strong moonshine pierced through the thick 
foliage above and made its shadows below move and play, like 
sprightly ghosts. It was a wonderful Eden, but the deepest silence 
reigned all about, not a step of any living animal not the flapping of 
wings, not a voice, not a sound was heard anywhere. Oh, how lone- 
sme appeared this Paradise to us just at this moment, notwithstand- 
ing all its charms. We were too tired, however, of our long and 
eventful trip to think much about this. We fell on our knees and 


RELIGION ON JUPITER 


27 


in a short but fervent prayer thanked Divine Providence that led 
us here, and then we went a few steps into the grove and side by 
side lay down under a tree to find rest in sleep. 

“If this Planet is not entirely a sponge/’ remarked Charley, 
while he stretched himself out in the shadow of the tree, “at least 
its soil is as soft as a decent mattress. 0 


CHAPTER VIII. 

RELIGION ON JUPITER. 

I do not know how long I slept, but I was aroused by a 
vigorous pushing into my side and Charley’s voice: “Awake, 
Fred,” he said, “we overslept ourselves, the Sun is already de- 
scending the Western slope.” 

“Oh, let me alone,” I grumbled, “I am not half through 
with my sleep,” and I turned over. 

“No, no, get up,” he insisted. “Hush, there is a crowd of 
people around our Airship. This stirred me up fully. I looked. 
Yes, there they were, the men of Jupiter, and giants, too, ten feet 
high. Entirely naked. But what is that kind of mantelleto, that 
covers their back and seems to have a life of its own? At that 
moment we saw flying overhead that same kind of gigantic bird 
that crossed the river last night. It came down and joined the 
crowd near the Balloon. It was one of them, that mantelletto 
were the wings of the flying man on Jupiter. They grew out of 
his body and flesh. Charley got terribly scared. 

“They must be very wild people,” he complained. They 
must be cannibals. They will make beefsteak out of us. Let us 
flee. Too late.” 

Yes, too late it was. These strange men had watched us. 
They had seen us moving. Two of the giants separated from the 
rest and with a majestic countenance, but as lightfooted and swift 
as a racing osfrich they soon reached us. We fell on our knees 
in a supplicalmg posture asking for mercy. With a gracious smile 
and extreme kindness flashing from their eyes they bade us to sit 
down and offered ps all kinds of fruit to eat. This fruit 


28 


RELIGION ON JUPITER 


was all of an excellent taste, luscious and sweet. It was 
drink and food at the same time. The day previous we had taken 
the last morsel of our provisions. So we ate with a sound appe- 
tite. We must have been a strange sight to them, as they were to 
us. While we were enjoying our meal they observed us closely and 
talked together. Oh, what sweet melody, what rich harmony in 
this language, although we could not understand it. It is music, 
a concert in my ears, as I never listened to on Earth. Whether 
low or high, the voice of these men was always full and distinct, 
soft and clear, strong and sweet. I felt at this moment ashamed 
of my coarse Anglo-Saxon so miscellaneous in its make-up. We 
could not do otherwise than to make observations on our side, 
too. Our two giants were standing before us, stark naked and 
facing us. Though so bulky, the symmetry of that body was the 
most perfect and pleasing while even in its smallest details it show- 
ed the most exquisite and delicate finish. Their skin was of clear 
white and fresh, healthy in color, smooth and hairless, through- 
out, except that the head was crowned with short, soft curls, 
which gave them an imposing appearance. Their large face blend- 
ed the strong and fresh expression of a young man of twenty 
with the soft and charming features of the fresh young woman. 
What astonished me the most of all was that I did not see on 
those masterpieces of beauty the least distinctive mark of sex, not 
even did they show the least sign that they belonged to the “Mam- 
malia” kind. 

We had finished our repast now. Before our meal we had 
forgotten in our first surprise to ask God’s blessing, we did not 
forget now to give Him thanks. We went down on our knees 
making the sign of the Cross. Our Jupiter men, too, knelt down 
at the same time, making a sign that looked very queer to us. 
profanes. They first formed a circumference starting from the 
forehead, thence over the left side, heart, right side and back to 
the forehead. Then within this circle they made three equilateral 
triangles, one on the front, the other on the lips and the third one 
on the heart. They now folded their hands and lifted up their 
eyes in somewhat the same position as Saints are painted in a 
trance. 

After this short prayer we all sat down on the soft grass. 
Our new friends asked us with signs unmistakable in their mean- 
ing whether we liked to learn their language. We nodded: “Yea.” 
They soon found out that we were a hard case, that our speech 
organs and our memory were too poor to learn that sweet lan- 


RHLIGION ON JUPIT8R 


U 


guage quick enough. So they turned the tables and requested us 
to teach them our tongue. 

Of course, we accepted. Our task was pretty easy. For 
we had splendid pupils. These men are endowed with a memory, 
that never fails, whatever they once saw, heard or know they nev- 
er forget, and at any moment can recall it with all its details. 
Their intellect is so sharp, that where we perceive nothing they 
will draw a long string of conclusions all stamped with objective 
truth. No wonder then, that in an hour or so our Jupiter schol- 
ars could say in English whatever they wished. But what change 
in our rather rough Anglo-Saxon tongue, though losing nothing 
of its simplicity and clearness their lips impregnated it with such 
a delicious melody and harmony that I was proud again that it 
was my mother tongue. 

It may be of use, Dear Reader, to tell you their names, so 

that if, even a thousand years hence, you ever make a trip to the 
Planet Jupiter, you can seek them out. They will be there still. 

The name of Charles’ pupil was “Balyas” that of mine was 
"Dezoo.” 

Dezoo asked me now the meaning of the sign we made at 
our prayer after breakfast. 

"It is,” I said, "a profession of the Blessed Trinity: one 
God in three Divine Persons.” 

"Your sign,” he replied, "expresses that sublime doctrine 
very poorly. You go from the forehead, the seat of the intellect 
to the heart, the seat of love. This expresses only two Persona 
of the Blessed Trinity, which we call: Infinite Intellect, and In- 
finite Love. Where is the third One?” 

"We supply this,” I answered, "with the words: Tn tht 
name of God, the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost/ 
Moreover sometimes we make another sign which expresses the 
Blessed Trinity more emphatically. In this we make the sign of 
the Cross on our forehead, our lips and our heart.” 

"That is better,” he said, "but in neither of them I see the 
absolute Unity of God expressed.” 

"We supply this,” I replied, "by saying: Tn the name* 
instead of: Tn the names/” 

"I understand,” interposed Balva, "but what has that sign 
of the Cross to do with the Blessed Trinity Y* 

Charley took up the answer. 

He told them, how the sign of the Cross expressed the 
fall of the earthly man, the Incarnation of the Second Person of 
the Blessed Trinity and the Redemption by the death of the God- 


30 


RELIGION ON JUPITER 


man on the Cross. He gave a brief explanation of these Myster- 
ies. This aroused in the hearts of these pure men the highest 
admiration for God's mercy and the deepest sorrow for man’s fall 
and degeneration. Charley continued: “Will you kindly explain 
to us the sign you made before prayer?” 

“Well,” replied Balva, “it is very simple. “By the circum- 
ference we signify: The One, Single, Self-existing, Eternal, Undi- 
visible and Unfinite Divine Substance or One God. Within this 
circle we form three equilateral triangles, the really distinct three 
Divine Persons existing in that One God. You call them Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost. They may be the best chosen names for 
your state of mind. We mean the same thing that you do, except 
that we know nothing about the Cross. We call the Three Divine 
Persons: Infinite Intellect, Infinite Understanding and Infinite 
Truth. These names afford us a clear insight into the objective 
reality. The Divine Intellect is the First Person in its Eternal 
activity. It comprehends and fully understands God’s Infinite 
perfection. From this flows the Infinite Truth, which consists 
in the absolute and substantial conformity between the compre- 
hension of the Infinite Intellect with the object comprehended. 
From this Infinite conformity between Intellect and its Under- 
standing and the object understood must necessarily proceed In- 
finite Truth and Love, the Person of the Blessed Trinity, though 
really distinct from each other, they necessarily are One in One, 
Divine substance. We cannot think of a God without these three 
persons, nor of three Divine Persons, would be more than one 
God.” 

“This is a clearer exposition,” said Charley, “than I ever 
heard in my life.” 

“When was this august mystery revealed to you?” I ven- 
tured to interpose. 

“God never spoke personally to us,” responded Dezoo, 
“but we knew it from studying our rational soul, which has its 
uncreated and infinite model in God alone. Our intellect by its 
inherent self activity finds truth. To be true, it must entirely 
agree with the object apprehended. Between truth and intellect 
there is an irresistible attraction or love. Hence, we form the 
triangle on our forehead, the seat of our intellect to express the 
first Person of Holy Trinity. On our lips from which nothing 
than truth should proceed, to signifv the second person, the In- 
finite Truth, the Word of the Divine Intellect. Lastly on our 
heart the seat of love, which itself cannot be true love, unless it 
is in conformity with intellect and understanding. This last tri- 


WITHOUT CHURCH AND WITHOUT PRIEST 


31 


angle then represents the third Person of the Divine Trinity. 
From this we conclude that in the one Divine substance must ex- 
ist the infinitely perfect model: one God and three Divine Per- 
sons . 0 

“Splendid , 0 cried out Charley with his usual frankness. “I 
have only one difficulty. There are not three persons in us." 

“Because," was the emphatic reply of Balva, “simply be- 
cause there cannot be. The personality in order to exist at all, 
must continually be there and not at intervals only. If God would 
annihilate my soul and destroy my personality, and create imme- 
diately a new soul in me entirely like my present one, still I would 
not be the same person as before. For the same reason truth in 
us and the irresistible attraction or love between our intellect and 
truth are not continuous, exist only at intervals, when namely our 
intellect is active in the right direction and therefore cannot be 
persons in our soul. The intellect only, whether active or not is 
always present and consequently is the only basis of our single per- 
sonality." 

I had not noticed that daylight had given way to the bril- 
liant moonlight. 

Balva and Dezoo looked at the Moons and remarked: “It 
is about time to start for our religious meeting. Will you accom- 
pany us?° 

“Gladly," we answered in one voice. 

“Come along, then." 


CHAPTER IX. 

WITHOUT CHURCH AND WITHOUT PRIESTS. 

The heading of this chapter will certainly please many so- 
cialistic leaders and writers who want to exclude from their model 
communities the Church and its Ministers. I am sorry, I must 
spoil that pleasure by showing that a perfect humanity, as I pic- 
ture here, though it does not need any Church or Priest organiza- 
tion, cannot do away however with religion. Nay, religion is the 
necessary basis of its happy society. How much the more then is it 
needed for the man on this cursed Earth with less noble and corrupt 
nature? Among men on Earth Socialism without religion is not 
only bare nonsense, but would be the utter confusion of the in- 
fernal regions. I resume my story. 

We had not very far to walk. Everything was so strange 
to us that our imagination was excited to its highest pitch. We 


32 


WITHOUT CHURCH AND WITHOUT PRIEST 


expected we would find an immense temple with the most mag- 
nificent and ideal architecture. We arrived. What did we see? 
A vast plain between the groves, surrounded by gigantic trees 
towering towards heaven. These were the walls of the temple. 
Its dome were the heavens from which the stars glimmertd and 
sparkled like jewels, inlaid rubies, and saphyres. It was the true 
temple of nature, but its richness and grandeur could not be rivaled 
by any one erected with the hands of men. We remained on the out- 
skirts. Balva and Dezoo did not leave us in order to explain to 
us the ceremonies. Roughly counted there must have been over 
five thousand people all of the same kind as our two friends. Just 
now they were ail kneeling down in silence, their hands and eyes 
lifted up to Heaven and watching the stand of the Moons. 

Suddenly and without any word of command they were 
all on their feet as one man. They formed into rank and file with 
more regularity than I had ever witnessed in the best drilled army 
commanded by the ablest officer. They spread out into a well 
defined circle, inscribed and with an equilateral triangle, the man 
standing in the triangle’s turn being also part of the circumfer- 
ence. I must state here that these people’s voice had an extension 
of fully four octaves, with such a variety of tune that the most 
perfect instrument can not imitate it. Now the music began, and 
oh, what music, and all without any leadership whatever, as our 
friends whispered to us, this was a high hymn to the one Eternal 
and Infinite God. The man, who stood in the center of the tri- 
angle, began a “Solo.” It was a sweet but a powerful melody. 
Whether it ran high or low, the voice of the singer remained al- 
ways natural, without strain, clear and distinct and pleasing in the 
extreme, one tone sweetly melting away into the other. 

Soon the men standing around the “Solo Singer” accom- 
panied him in another voice but in perfect harmony, increasing, 
the richness and power of the melody. So the concert, flowing 
from the “Solo Singer in the Center,” swelled into mighty 
waves until it reached the circumference and its climax. Tht 
groves around, the skies above seemed to swim and revel in a 
shoreless Sea of divine music. 

Meantime the singer in the center, as the inexhausti- 
ble fountain of it all, was. always distinctly heard above this pow- 
erful harmony. The ebbing tide now set in, to return toward# 
the center whence it proceeded. The men in the circumference 
ceased singing, and so it went gradually from row to row, until 
the central singer finished it alone with one extremely charming 
and powerful melody. 


WITHOUT CHURCH AND WITHOUT PRIESTS 


33 


“They,” explained our interpreter, “show how Eternity, 
Infinity and Absolute Unity, in their objective in reality 
fi>w from God’s Self existence, belong only to Him and never 
can go out of Him. There was a pause — and that immeme 
crowd, without breaking mutual positions, turned half a circle. 
They were standing now in an opposite direction to the points of 
the compass. Another song began. This was the anthem to the 
Blessed Trinity. It was inaugurated by the men who formed one of 
the sides of the inscribed Triangle. It flowed quietly and in the 
most strict “Legato” so that the transition from one to another was 
imperceptible, but it was pregnant of the greatest power, melody 
and harmony. It evolved itself “Crescendo.” This represented 
the Divine Intellect in Its eternal activity and adequate compre- 
hension of the Infinite Divine Substance, the first Person of the 
Blessed Trinity. Now the men constituting the second line of 
the Triangle joined in developing the identical theme, but with 
more vivacity and variation scattering all around and combining 
in rapturous Strains the life it drew from the Divine Intellect. It 
showed the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Eternal, In- 
finite, Objective and Substantial Truth, generated by the Divine 
Intellect by comprehending Its own Infinite. 

The two sides of the Triangle stopped singing and the men 
standing in the third side, began the song of Eternal Love. This 
was not the love song of the Word, which degrades the heart and 
misleads reason and feeds only on imagination, illusions and 
phantoms, which vanish soon and leave nothing behind but disap- 
pointment and despair. It was the Word of the Infinite, Abso- 
lute, Eternal agreement between the Divine Intellect and Divine 
Understanding from which Truth must necessarily proceed. That 
song was so sweet, so charming, so overwhelming, that I felt, as 
if my heart was going to break or melt. So also must have felt 
the choirs of the two other sides of the Triangle, which repre- 
sented the First and Second Persons of the Blessed Trinity. They 
could not stand their own silence any longer, it seemed, and join- 
ed the love song with a gusto, that enhanced, if possible, its sweet- 
ness and enrapturing harmony. Another pause ensued, then a* 
extraordinary stir. While they were marching in perfect order, 
a great number of them flew up from the ranks below into the 
air above and formed there the same figure as there was on the 
floor beneath, only with more distance from man to man on account 
of their large outspread wings. It was just this last feature, 
which gave to this emblem the most impressive aspect. The 
wings were transparent and the bright moonlight brought out in 


34 


WITHOUT CHURCH AND WITHOUT PRIESTS 


picturesque clearness the outlines of the human circle and its in- 
scribed triangle while it made the effect on the eye, as if the infin- 
ite glory of the Triune God displayed itself in its fullness behind 
the sacred emblem. 

“This is the veil,” said Dezoo, “through which our intel- 
lect sees God and the Blessed Trinity in this life we hope, howev- 
er, that once its Infinite Majesty shall appear before us without 
veil or shadow.” 

“The men remaining on the floor of that Temple of Nature 
had now formed into a square, while those above, who had made 
a living and brilliant ceiling over that House of Worship, had 
turned their heads towards their brethren below. The men above 
entoned now a short song, that sounded to me as a touching and 
last farewell. Then they turned suddenly about and faced the 
glorious light, that shone through their wings. They began now 
a concert without words. They imitated the most various and 
sweetest violins and harps. Indeed, it was as if the choir of 
Angels and Saints were singing God’s praise before His Heavenly 
Throne. I looked at the men on the ground below; they were on 
their knees in the devoutest attitude of prayer. It seemed that 
celestial music had enraptured them. They began to sing, what 
Balva told us was the “Song of Hope.” The desire of these hap- 
py men to see God’s Glory in its fulness pierced through it in its 
utmost intensity. It was the soul’s cry of the sublime St. Paul: 
“I wish to be free from my mortal body and be with Christ.” On 
the lips of these men it may have sounded : “When, O God, shall 
You lift up the veil? When shall we see You without any shad- 
ow?” The deep thrilling sighing of these men for a happier life 
still and more intimate union with their Creator, was touching 
and heart-rending, still it was mingled throughout with sweet 
love and entire resignation. More eloquently, than ever I felt, 
the last tone of this song of sighs be brought home to me the deep 
significance of the aspiration taught us by our Divine Teacher 
Himself: “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Here 
ended the pathetic prayer and the heavenly concert above. The 
religious service was over and the worshippers scattered in all di- 
rections, flying or walking, to find their resting place for the 
night. 

We, too, with Balva and Dezoo, we traced our steps tow- 
ards retreat near the beach. We were deeply impressed and walk- 
ed in silence. Charley, however, could not stand it any longer 
and he burst out abruptly: “Marvelous this is indeed. On Earth 
it would convert the most godless fellow, but what puzzles me is 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 35 


that there was neither Bishop nor Priest, neither preacher or teach- 
er, neither ruler or leader.” 

“Of course not,” was Dezoo’s reply, “we have none.” 

“But then,” I interposed, “have you any Church Organiza- 
tion or any Tribunal chosen from among yourselves endowed 
with full and infallible Authority to settle differeneces of opinions 
with regard to Religion and Morals?” 

“None whatever,” was his answer. “God alone could do 
that, but did not do it. On the other hand there are no differ- 
ences of opinion amongst us on this subject. We are a perfect 
unit in this as we all are of the same mind and heart.” 

“Well,” broke out Charley again, “that is unmitigated An- 
archism in religion.” 

“Yes,” was Balva’s gentle retort, “provided you do not 
banish God’s authority from it. He is our only Master and gave 
us an intellect through which with certainty we recognize all our 
duties toward God Himself and our fellowman, towards human 
Society and our own eternal destinies.” 

Meantime we had reached our place of rest and slept in 
peace under the shadow of a tree. 


CHAPTER X. 

BODILY AND MORAL CONSTITUTION OF THE 
JUPITER MEN. 

I had sweet dreams about Angels and celestial Music. 
When we awoke in the morning, our two friends had gone. 

“Where may they be?” I inquired of Charley. 

“Look towards the river and listen,” said he. 

We had a full view of the stream from under the trees. I 
heard splashing and frolicking. 

“I must have some sport, too,” cried Charley. 

Off he ran and I after him to the banks of the river. There 
we witnessed an amusing scene. These colossal men were playing 
in the water like innocent children in unrestrained glee. No won- 
der, they had no other solicitude in their happy life than to wor- 
ship and love God. The limpid surface was dotted with them 
for miles around. They could rival any one of the finny tribe. 
They were at home in the water as they were on land and in the 
sky. They jumped high up, and dived deep down, swam under 
water as long as they pleased or on their back with greatest ease 


86 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 


and dexterity, even walked or danced on the surface as if they 
were standing on a solid floor. 

Charley and myself were expert swimmers, and on the 
earth they would have bragged of us, to see us swim like fish. But 
how small we did feel at this sight. 

“Fred,” muttered Charley, “I am afraid to compete with 
these men, but we did not wash since we left San Francisco, we 
need a general scrubbing, I jump in anyhow.” 

“I, too,” I assented. 

We had stripped in no time, but we had not expected this 
adventure and not taken along from the old country any kind of 
a bathing suit. So we threw ourselves in, in Adam’s fashion. Of 
course, it did us good, at least it cleaned us thoroughly. But our 
swimming was a mere struggling compared with that of these hu- 
man fishes. We got tired soon and went out. Hardly were we 
on shore again, when Balva and Dezoo joined us. We reached 
for our garments. They stopped us, saying: “ 

‘Why this encumbrance? It only prevents immediate evap- 
oration from the body, which is needed for this atmosphere. It 
must be pretty cold on the Planet from which you come.” 

“Well,” I said, “we have there extreme cold, extreme heat 
and intermediate temperatures according to zone and season.” 

“How large is your Planet?” they asked. 

“Yours,” I replied, “is about thirteen thousand times the 
size of ours.” 

“We know now,” they rejoined, “it has one Moon about as 
large as the smallest of ours.” 

“Yes,” I answered. 

“We often enough noticed it in the firmament and won- 
dered whether there were living beings under such a strange tem- 
perature. The climate here remains the same, as you feel it now, 
all over the Planet and through the whole year. So you better 
discard your garments.” 

“But,” I meekly pleaded, “it is not only against the incle- * 
mency of the weather that we wear them, it is also for decency’s 
sake.” 

“I understand,” said Balva, “you are male and female on 
Earth and of a fallen nature. This does not go up here. We our- 
selves are entirely sexless.” 

“Oh,” I sighed rather loud, “how much evil would have 
been spared man on Earth, had there never been difference of 
sex.” 

“Do not judge God’s works,” was the severe rebuke. Had 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 3T 


man never fallen ; had your Eve and Adam not thwarted the origi- 
nal plan of their Creator, the difference of sex would have been a 
blessing and an honor for your race. ,, 

This was plain talk, and I took my medicine bravely. Mean- 
while we decided to follow the advice of these pure men for whom 
indecency was a blank, and to discard our garments. We stored 
them away in our Airship and went about in Eden’s fashion, like 
they did. 

We were now ready for breakfast. The only diet on Jupi- 
ter is fruit, and we needed plenty of it, for our appetite was vor- 
acious even more so than here on Earth. Our two friends must 
have wondered at that, since they themselves ate scarcely enough 
for a baby to subsist on, but they made no remark. We were too 
small to reach the fruit on the trees, so far that we had to depend 
entirely on our friends. These were tall enough to attain the low- 
er branches, for the higher ones they flew up and picked the fruit 
on their wings. They always showed the greatest kindness and 
willingness to provide us with any amount or any kind of fruit we 
wanted. 

Charley was in a jovial mood. 

“You eat hardly anything,” he remarked. “Have you got 
a fast day?” 

“No,” replied Balva, “we do not know fast days here. We 
eat just enough to repair the waste caused by the evaporation 
from the body. The whole of our food assimilates with our flesh 
and leaves no refuse. Hence we lack the organs for the evacua- 
tion of that refuse. In this way you are quite different from us.” 

“You look like a youth of seventeen,” began Charley again. 
How old are you?” 

“If I reckon according to your method, we are six thous- 
and and five hundred years old,” was the astonishing reply. 

“How were you born then?” was the next query. 

“We were not born at all,” he answered, as if with innocent 
simplicity. “We were immediately created by God and do not 
owe even the least part of our being to anybody else. There is no 
propagation amongst us. This is only found among the irrational 
animals. To replace this God created our own race all at once 
and made us so that there is no death amongst us by sickness or 
old age. Therefore, we look upon Him as our only Father, to 
whom we owe everything. Thus our heart is not divided 
and it belongs entirely to Him alone. Six thousand, five hundred 
years ago we found ourselves on the surface of this Planet just as 
we are now, and with the very same surroundings as at present.” 


38 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 


In fact these people were the cleanest samples of the human 
species that imagination may picture to itself. Even with 
regard to their body, they there and then were the fittest subjects 
to ascend into Heaven with body and soul without death or res- 
urrection. 

“Did God impose on you the ‘Ten Commandments’ as He 
did on us?” enquired Charley again. 

“Which are those ‘Ten Commandments ?’ ” asked Dezoo in 

return. 

Charley recited them. 

“No,” answered Dezoo. “No, we have not got them. They 
are indeed very well adapted to the condition of your fallen na- 
ture and the needs of your social intercourse, but the greater part 
of them would have no reason of existence with us. No, God 
never expressly imposed any commandment on us. Still our rea- 
son makes it clear to us, all the duties we have to fulfill towards 
God and our fellowmen, we are convinced that we are accounta- 
ble to the Supreme Being for all our actions. We must love God 
because He is the Supreme God, we must love our fellow men for 
God’s sake. These two include all our duties. They are, howev- 
er, not a burden to us but a pleasure. We would not feel happy 
without them.” 

“One more question,” I joined in. “Did God ever test 
your faithfulness towards Him?” 

“Once,” answered Dezoo. “He at least allowed a terrible 
temptation to come upon us.” 

“Oh, please tell us all about this for our own instruction,” 

I said. 

“The facts are these continued Dezoo. “It was about a 
thousand years after our creation. We had lived in contentment 
and peace. A strange apparition at that time made great excite- 
ment among us. This vision showed itself in succession all over 
the land. At first we could not discern anything bodily in it. 
When we approached, it vanished from our view. The nature of 
our own soul tells us that there are above us rational beings of a 
higher order, pure spirits, who are not tied to a body of any kind. 
We could then not even suspect that there were among them evil 
spirits fallen from grace, as you have it from Divine Revelation. 
We, therefore, could not suppose anything else than that this was 
a good Angel, who came to us as a messenger from Heaven. This 
gladdened our hearts and filled us with high expectations. Per- 
haps, so we thought, our Divine Creator sends His Angels to an- 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 39 


nounce to us that soon we shall stand before His Throne of Di- 
vine Majesty among His elect. 

“Bye and bye the apparition took human form. This body 
had gigantic proportions. It stood fifteen feet high but had no 
wings. When we tried to get near this man without wings, nev- 
ertheless he ascended into the air with ease and grace, moved at 
will and disappeared again. This confirmed us more and more 
that it was an Angel, who could assume a human body just as he 
pleased and shake it off again. He did this, we surmised to prove 
to us that he came really from Heaven. 

After awhile the scene entered upon its third act. The 
spirit, as we still thought it was, allowed us to come right up to 
him and even touch his body. Notwithstanding its enormous bulk 
this seemed to be as light as a feather. He spoke to us in our 
own language. He was extremely kind and at times even some- 
what flattering towards us. He made the minutest enquiries about 
our mode of living, our customs, adn our ways of worshipping 
the Supreme Being. He never mingled, however, in our social 
life. His appearance was always unexpected. We could not find 
out when he came or whither he retired. Though our religious 
service seemed to meet with his entire approval, still he never took 
part in or witnessed it. We explained this by supposing, that as a 
spirit of a higher rank, his worship of God was so eminently 
spiritual that ours was to him only a childish play and could not 
inspire him with any interest. We regarded him then as an Angel 
from Heaven and as a messenger from God, our expectation was 
aroused to the highest pitch. He told us at last that he had come 
to reveal to us the deepest secrets and the most sublime truths; 
that, however, he could not do this to every person in particular 
but only to the whole race in general. A day was fixed whereon 
our whole race should gather in one place to hear the message. 
Our hearts were palpitating with hope for the great things soon to 
come over us. 

“We were all present on the appointed day on the spot to 
the number of many millions. [This was the first time that we 
ever had such a general convention. We filled an extensive 
stretch of land. We wanted to prepare ourselves devoutly to re- 
ceive the Divine message and we ushered in that memorable day 
with the most solemn religious service we ever held. Our prayer 
was so fervent, our songs so joyful that they must have gone 
right straight to Heaven and have been heard above those of the 
Angels and Saints before the Throne of the Divine Majesty. We 
were so intensely occupied in these devotions that the Sun was 


40 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 


setting before we noticed it. Our Divine messenger had failed to 
make his appearance presence manifest. 

“Had he broken his promise? If so, why? Were we at 
fault? We could not answer, but for the first time in our lives we 
lay down to rest disappointed and sorry. 

“Just before daybreak next morning we were roused from 
our slumbers by the sound of a trumpet loud enough to be heard 
all over the Planet. Was it God’s own judgment? Or was it the 
signal of glad tidings? In an instant we were on our feet. Look- 
ing into the sky, and we saw our belated friend lying in mid-air 
high above, with his face turned towards us. His features show- 
ed the same kindness as usual. This restored our confidence and 
we gave him a loud and hearty greeting. He waved his hand as 
to command silence. With a voice that could be clearly and dis- 
tinctly heard in all its inflections even beyond the boundaries of 
the vast tract of country in which we were gathered, he began in a 
solemn tone: 

“ ‘Hear me, ye dwellers of these fair regions. I come 
down from that brilliant Luminary, the Sun, who imparts light, 
heat and animal life to the countless Satellites that revolve 
around him and follow him in his wanderings through space, like 
servants follow their master and Sovereign. Already did I visit a 
great many of these Planets to elevate the rational beings that 
might live there. I must confess that nowhere did I find such a 
perfect humanity as I find here; nowhere an intellect so well fitted 
and prepared to understand and accept the deep secrets and high 
truths I am going to disclose to you. Open then your minds. In 
the Universe there are two substances through their whole essence 
totally different from each other: Spirit and Matter. The last one 
from its very nature is inactive inert, powerless and helpless. It 
cannot move a point without getting the impulse from the spirit. 
On the other hand the spirit is activity and power itself. It is the 
master of matter. Still as I see you here, matter prevents or 
hampers the expansion of your intellect and the power of your 
will. I appeal to your own conscience you feel that you can and 
should know a great deal more than you do ; that the power of 
your will is very limited and could be immensely greater. You 
feel in you a longing, a craving to be freed from the obstacles 
that your mind may take its flight into the Infinity of internal 
truth and power. Yes, those bonds of slavery must be broken 
down, but to do so you must exert yourself, yes, you must evolve 
the innate power that still lies half dormant in your mind. Rouse 
up from that deadly slumber and you will soon feel the glorious 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 41 


effects. Today I will give you the golden key which will unlock 
the treasure room of infinite truth and power. To encourage and 
assist you in this lofty endeavor, I cannot do better than relate 
the experience of our own race and kindred in this matter. 

“ ‘We, the inhabitants of the glorious Sun, we were once 
standing on the same level where you are now. We had wings 
like you. In our beautiful home we lived in comfort and content- 
ment. We served the Supreme Being with fervent devotion and 
faithfulness. Like you we felt that our intellect could know im- 
mensely more than it did ; that our mind was tied to and too much 
controlled by matter, to let it fly up into the vast domains of infinite 
truth. Still our firm hope in God’s almighty goodness and kindness 
sustained us in our joyful submission to His Holy will. These same 
feelings are in your hearts. We admitted, as you do, that craving 
for more and more knowledge was the work of God Himself, and, 
therefore, not to deceive us, He once had to gratify it and that He 
would make us sit on the steps of His Throne of Divine Majesty 
and give us a clear vision into His Infinite Perfection. As time 
flowed on, this inherent desire grew more intense and our hope 
stronger. So we had lived for one hundred thousand years. The hope 
was still unfulfilled, but our craving for eternal truth had grown 
unbearable. In our inner nature we felt an impulse we had never 
felt before, an impulse of self-reliance and self-exertion. Without 
reserve we plunged into the deepest secrets of nature. Our men- 
tal faculties began to evolve, develop and expand, our knowledge 
to swell rapidly, matter could not hamper any longer the flight of 
our mind. Our body became lighter and lighter until we threw 
off our wings and without them soared in the skies with more 
facility and ease. Our material envelope obeyed at the bidding of 
our will. At last we were able to shake it off or to take it up 
again at our own pleasure. Our spirit controlled matter not mat- 
ter our spirit any more. We travelled now far and 
wide to the confines of the Universe in search of that Supreme Be- 
ing, we had served so long and so faithfully. Did we find that In- 
finite God? Yes, but not in the shape we had always pictured 
Him in our mind. This, we discovered now, was nothing else 
than an imagination, a delusion. It was only an idol, we had 
adored and worshipped. We broke that idol to atoms. We had 
found the true Infinite in our own mind. We are the Gods of the 
Universe, so will you be, if you do as we did.’ ’* 

“We were horrified at these last blasphemous utterings. In 
a piercing cry we yelled to that malign messenger: ‘Away from 


42 


MORAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE JUPITER MAN 


here, you genius of evil! Away with your falsehoods and blas- 
phemies! Away from us, you horrible monster in nature!’ 

“This aroused the infernal imposter to a foaming rage. He 
overloaded us with the vilest epithets. His last words to us were: 

“’Yes, I leave you to your fate, you cursed and stubborn 
race of men. Be and forever remain the slaves of your Despot.' ” 

“We fell trembling on our knees and made the Sacred Sign 
of the Blessed Trinity. Oh, what a sudden change in the scene. 
Flames issued from the mouth and eyes of our tempter. We saw 
him writhing and wriggling in pain and torture. He lifted his 
hands towards Heaven and cried: 

“‘Oh, You, God Almighty, Supreme Sovereign of the Uni- 
verse, you created me the most perfect and beautiful being of your 
realm and then crushed me and threw me with my faithful follow- 
ers from before your Throne of Infinite Majesty into the deepest 
abyss of eternal misery and despair. Was this not enough for 
Your glory? Why torment me still more? I challenge you. All 
Powerful Tyrant, punish me as much as you wish. I will not 
serve You. Annihilate me, if You dare. I hate You.’” 

“The infernal Titan had hardly time to finish the last word, 
when he was wrapped in flames, that sprung from the air, which 
encircled him. That is the last we saw of him. Gnashing of 
teeth, hissing of rage came from the center of the blaze and then 
all vanished, but such an unbearable stench spread over that re- 
gion that we left it in a hurry and scattered again throughout the 
Planet.” 

“Ough !” ejaculated Charley, “that was verily a Satanic ora- 
tion.” • 

“Surely,” I joined in, “and an eloquence bristling with truth 
and falsehood, entangled in right and wrong logic, so somewhat 
similar to the methods of our infidel philosophers.” 

“And,” remarked Balva, “not very much unlike to that of 
the serpent which tempted your first Mother Eve.” 

“True,” I replied, “but there was poor logic there.” 

“No wonder,” concluded the incorrigible Charley “that 
old scoundrel Satan knew full well that to use much logic with 
women is only wasting time.” 


A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


43 


CHAPTER XI. 

A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER. 

From what we had learned of these admirable men any one 
with a sound mind must infer that they were the real stuff safely 
to form a socialistic communistic or anarchistic community. But 
shall we find such communities here the same as on Eearth? 
Moreover these happy people find in their blessed abode all that 
physical nature can wish for, and this without toil or labor, as the 
following shall show. 

For quite a number of days we had remained near our land- 
ing place, and carefully watched the people around and got pretty 
well acquainted with them and their blessed region and felt a 
great desire to enlarge our knowledge and go on an extensive 
trip. 

One morning we brought the subject before Balva and 
Dezoo. 

“All right/’ was their simple answer. “ Let us start at 

once.” 

Reader, remember this is on Jupiter, not on Earth. On 
this last region of toil and vicissitudes, such a proposal as that of 
our friends would be folly. Indeed going on a long journey on 
Earth is not such an easy job. 

First, you must have your pocket stuffed up with plenty of 
money, else you are not respected, or you can not get along at all. 

Second, if you do not want to look shabby at the end- of the 
first day, already, you must drag with you a little dry goods store 
of your own, put it in a solid, heavy trunk that can stand any 
roughness of the railroad officials, lucky for you if you have not 
to chaperon some lady friends along. The thing then becomes 
more serious. One trunk may do for yourself, but for every lady 
there will certainly be three or four additional ones. They must 
change at least three times a day, you know, that they may always 
look fresh and charming. 

Third, you will have to look up your Geography, so that 
you do not take the wrong route and awake some morning in San 
Francisco, while you wanted to go to Quebec. After this is fixed 
satisfactorily you may go and buy your ticket. That will not give 
much trouble if you have the cash to pay for it. You are ready 
now to board the train. She may be five or six hours late. You 
may grumble. It won't help you a bit. You have to wait. At 


44 


A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


last the welcome whistle is heard. Now, you may step in. Hold 
on, your three fair companions first. You have to lift them up or 
rather carry like helpless children into the car. That’s the fashion, 
you cannot forego it, without being called a “brute.” You follow 
now like the venerable abbot after his monks. But the car is fill- 
ed. Your pretty charges look anxiously out for a seat. You 
beg, you beseech to find one. You partly succeed. You strike a 
melancholic and stubborn bachelor. He does not care a snap for 
your ladies. He will not stir. You are just going to fight him 
out of his seat, when a gallant youngster relieves you from these 
extreme measures by offering you his for your last charge. And 
you? Well, you hang down from the straps overhead or go and 
Re down on the top of the car, if you wish, for room and fresh air. 
It may not always be as bad as that, but at any rate you are not 
half through your trip, when often enough you will think : 
“Would, I were home again sitting in my peaceful armchair.” But 
you are in for it now and you have to go through with it, and you 
may thank your stars if you return home without collision, wrecks 
or telescoping of cars and without some broken ribs or limbs. 

Such things are impossible on the grand Jupiter. No 
danger anywhere, ease and comfort everywhere. In nature’s dress 
you are always fashionable. Money will not make you respecta- 
ble if you are not so otherwise. No ladies to bother you. No 
roads to lose your bearings. No hotels, you do not need them, 
you find plenty of provisions wherever you travel. Everywhere 
you are at home, everywhere you are amongst your best friends. 
No care, no sollicitude for anything. Just go ahead and travel. 
This is the way we started on our journey. Our two friends ac- 
companied us. They could have gone on their wings of course, 
but they followed our example and went afoot too. They were 
better pedestrians than we were. After awhile we got tired, while 
they looked quite fresh still. They saw our predicament and in- 
vited us to sit down and take a rest and some refreshments. It 
was just on my lips, to tell our kind companions that we were able 
now to continue our way, when Balva made a peculiar whistling. 
It did not last long, when six majestic lions came gallopping 
towards us with a roar that resounded, like thunder. Charley and 
myself, we jumped up to take to our heels or climb some tree. Our 
friends kept us back, saying: “Be not afraid, they are pets.” 

Indeed they were. They ran right up to us and lay down 
at our feet wagging their tail and looking at us with wistful eyes, 
as if to say: “Here we are, what is your command?” Their 
general shape was that of the feline kind. On their feet they stood 


A TOCJR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


45 


higher than any horse I ever saw. Their manes were long and 
thick. They nearly touched the ground. They were the true 
kings of the forest 

“What a royal team that would make on Broadway, New 
York,” said Charley. “Are all wild animals tame on this Planet?" 
he went on not noticing the contradiction in the very wording. 

“There are no wild animals here," replied Balva. “There 
never were." 

“It is quite contrary on Earth," philosophized Charley. 
“There the original stock seems to have all been wild and it is with 
the greatest painstaking that we can get some tameness into them, 
and when left alone, they all return to their wild state again." 

Balva and Dezoo had read the Bible with the utmost delight 
and knew it better than we did, hence Dezoo’s answer : 

“It is clear from your Sacred History, that before the fall 
of your first parents, all animals were tame and quite friendly and 
submissive to man. Sin brought the whole change. When man 
became rebel to God, the animals became rebel to man." 

It was time to continue our journey and mount our mag- 
nificent steeds. Our tall friends had to give us a lift to get on the 
lion’s back. They warned us to use the long manes as lines to 
bold us steady only, not to guide our animals, they would follow 
the front ones. The caravan lined up. Balva and Dezoo in the 
lead. Charley and myself in the middle followed in the rear by 
the two lions without riders. 

I noticed now for the first time a queer power in these men. 
When they wanted to make their lion turn to the left, they did 
not pull the manes but pressed between their fingers the manes on 
the right and the animal would turn to the left or vice versa. They 
told me that by so doing they sent an electric current from their 
body to the brains of the animal and pressing only on one mane 
they made a circuit, which the animal could not help following. 
The body of these men were verily electric batteries under the im- 
mediate control of their will. 

While we thus paraded on our lions, instead of being pre- 
ceded by a music band, we had a concert above our heads. The 
birds are well represented here, are of a rich, multicolored and 
brilliant plumage, all are sweet singers, every kind warbles its own 
tune ; all day long they vied with each other to celebrate the glory 
of God and give delight to man. They, too, recognize men as 
their masters and are familiar with and attached to them. Balva 
and Dezoo had merely to stretch out their arms as an invitation 
and these minstrels of the sky would come and perch upon their 


46 


A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


hands and arms, execute their lovely concert and fly away again 
with glee. 

Another scene came suddenly upon us, which would throw 
anybody into hysterical laughters. On either side of our trail a 
herd of monkeys were chasing each other in the trees. As soon 
as we came in sight they stopped their playful performance and 
put themselves in a position of soldiers presenting arms to their 
high officers. Their funny grinning, however, in contrast with 
the serious and solemn expression of their face made the whole 
thing extremely ludicrous. Even our two-winged companions 
could not help laughing heartily, and this was the greatest treat 
for Charley. 

“Let us stop for awhile,” he appealed to us. 

We dismounted and sat down on the soft grass like kings 
on their throne. Dezoo made a sound, which our Jupiter monk- 
eys seemed to understand directly. They climbed from the trees, 
walked erect towards us and posed before our caravan in rank and 
file. The outward resemblance of these monkeys with ourselves 
was so striking, that we were tempted to stretch out the hand of 
fellowship. Especially Charley was enthused with an old fellow, 
who could pride himself on a long flowing beard. 

“Ha ! hah !” laughed Charley. “That fellow looks nearly 
like the old school master of my native village. If there is wis- 
dom in spectacles put a ‘pince nez’ on him and he could take the 
place of that schoolmaster. I hardly think the boys would notice 
the difference.” 

The fact is that, erect and tailless, as they are, the bodily 
shape of these apes is more human than that of many negroes of 
Central Africa and certainly more so than that of the aborigenes 
of Australia, as pictured by Captain Cook. If the reader is of the 
Darwinistic faith, he may think for himself. 

“Hurrah ! At last I have found the so long searched for 
'Lost Link.’ How in the world did he get here? They have no 
wings like the Jupiter men.” 

“Hold on, my friend, I can help you a little to disentangle 
the riddle. You know the Book of Wisdom states it clearly, that 
there is nothing new under the Sun. May be then a couple of 
millions of years ago the ‘Lost Link,’ just before it hatched out, 
the rational animal was more practical although not quite so 
scientific as his rival, the modern man of today. In this way the 
‘Lost Link’ had already invented the perfect flying machine or 
airship, before it became the immediate Papa of man. May be 
the first generations of their rational offspring went all right, but 


A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


47 


si million of years or so ago the descendants of the ‘Lost Link' 
began to degenerate. Instead of continuing the forward and up- 
ward evolution, they had inherited from their grandfather, the 
monkey, and from their father, the ‘Lost Link/ they took the 
downward way, against all the principles of Darwin. They forgot 
everything about the flying machine and airship. This situation 
threatened to become a catastrophe, by which all the evolutionized 
species would return to their ‘Ursleim’ or protoplasm ancestors 
again. The ‘Lost Link' saw this. The instinct of self preserva- 
tion was strongly aroused in him ; he did not want to be swallowed 
up in this universal backward evolution. One fine morning, then, 
the whole family strapped on their wings or embarked in their 
airship and emigrated. Not one member of the ‘Lost Link’ race 
remained behind. After a long and eventful journey they arrived 
on Jupiter and settled down. The leaders put their heads togeth- 
er and to stamp out any homesickness they burned and made a 
bonfire of all their wings and airships. ‘Yes,’ may object a mod- 
ern thinker, ‘but the ‘Lost Link’ reasoned wrong and made a mis- 
take. The human race is now as progressive as ever.’ ” 

“Granted,” I answer. “This lack of reasoning shows clear- 
ly that it was really the ‘Lost Link’ with his incomplete reasoning 
faculty.” 

I opine this monkey story thus far is as good as any, and 
may satisfy the most fanatic Darwinist, though I must confess it 
does not satisfy me, because I never could get rid of the self-evi- 
dent truth it is not the shape of the body that makes an animal 
rational but the reason that presides over it. 

Howsoever all this may be, the Jupiter monkeys are still 
standing there before us grinning with delight. Balva and Dezoo 
went to the same tree whence our monkeys descended a moment 
before, and picked some fruit. The apes followed the operation 
with greedy looks. 

“This fruit,” said Dezoo, “is destined for man only. No 
other animal will touch or eat it, with the exception of the monk- 
ey, who is very fond of it, but still will never meddle with it unless 
presented to him by our own hands.” 

Balva and Dezoo offered fruit to every individual. They 
grabbed at it with both hands and devoured it with eagerness as 
the greatest delicacy. Then they were dismissed as they climbed 
into the trees again, while we mounted our lions to proceed on 
our way. On our journey we used all kinds of animals as a con- 
veyance, some of which it was impossible to classify. I will de- 
scribe still a couple of them. 


48 


A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


One was the equine genus. A peculiar whistling was sound- 
ed by one of our friends and soon four magnificent steeds came 
rushing out of the forest with their tails skywards, their heads high 
up and laughing as only a horse can laugh, when his master brings 
him his oats. Their shape was that of the zebra striped as the 
zebra is, but of collossal size. They made the most imposing and 
attractive impression. They stood there before us dancing with de- 
light that they were called to do duty, like the army horse will 
dance at the sound of the music band. We had to be helped on 
their back again. 

To another I could not attach any other name than that of 
the “Animal Boat.” We arrived namely at the banks of a large 
river several miles in width. WE wanted to cross it. No trou- 
ble for our two friends. They could easily cross over either by 
swimming or flying. It was another case with ourselves. So 
while we were taking some refreshments Balva whistled in a deep 
tone and far out from shore we saw something rise, an indescriba- 
ble head and looked around. The strange animal seemed to have 
risen from the very deep. It began to swim towards the banks — 
its back appeared on the surface. All I could conclude was that 
Tt was an equatic monster of enormous dimensions. When it 
reached shallow water it began to walk on four legs with webbed 
and large feet. It was a strange and extremely funny sight. 

As long as the animal was in deep water it was impossible 
to say what it looked like, hardly had it reached shallow water 
when it began to walk very slowly and showed distinctly its enor- 
mous size. It was almost one hundred feet long and twenty in 
width with an extraordinary large tail and head. From each side 
of its head rose a thick strong horn, straight up to the height of 
three feet, thence it turned straight towards the back end of the 
animal and terminated where the tail began. When the monster 
reached dry land it ascended the gentle slope with a slow, heavy 
but steady step, showing that its large webbed feet were mainly in- 
tended for swimming and not for walking. In due time it reach- 
ed us and posed before us with a grunt of delight that it was called 
out from the deep to render service to its lords and masters. We 
were just taking out our breakfast. Balva waved his hand to the 
animal in sign that its service was not needed yet and it went off 
grazing around lustily. 

“This is a delicacy to this animal, which the gentle beast 
does not enjoy very often,” remarked Dezoo, “as it never ventures 
on shore, unless when called out by us, and this seldom happens.” 


A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


49 


When we had finished our lunch we descended to the edge 
of the river. A soft whistling drew the attention of the grazing 
animal. It looked up and at once began tottering in our direc- 
tion. This certainly did not look like a land automobile, but 
rather like a stranded ship trying to loosen itself from an uncon- 
genial element. As soon as our living boat reached us, he launch- 
ed himself leaving only his long broad tail as a compacting link 
between stream and shore. Over this unusual gang-plank we 
went on deck or on his back, which was covered with soft and 
stubby hair, like a magnificent carpet. An electric signal was 
given by Balva. This he did by ticking on the animal’s horn with 
which constituted the leaning of the ship going from his head to 
where the tail begins. With these electrical signals our friends 
could pilot that live craft in any direction they pleased safer and 
quicker than any steerman could with a steamer, provided with 
tHe most perfect machinery. Hardly had our queer motor boat 
lost ground from under his pedals when he shot off like an arrow, 
with such rapidity that at that rate a Steamboat could make the 
voyage from New York to Liverpool in two days. The scene was 
a strange and novel one. It proved too much for Charley. It 
shook his whole sportive soul with the juvenile glee of the campus 
day. He danced and jumped about and tried several risky sum- 
mersaults until he went over the horny rails and dived several 
yards under the waves. It was all so sudden. Charley rose to the 
surface but did not make any attempt to swim, though he was a 
champion swimmer. I yelled to him : “Swim then, Charley/ 1 
This brought him back to his senses. He began to paddle with 
hands and feet towards the ship. Meantime Balva had backed up 
our self motor towards him, and Charley swam up the deck again 
over the animal’s tail. I must state to Charley’s credit that he did 
not perpetrate any antics any more during this voyage. When 
we came in the middle of the large stream our friends stopped the 
animal ship, which lay motionless on the surface of the water. No 
anchors were needed. 

This afforded us a marvelous sight of the wealth of fish on 
Jupiter. Our electric friends had merely to stretch out 
their hands into the clear crystaline water, when shoals after 
shoals of the fnny tribe fled to the attractive spot^and small and 
large vied with each other to be petted. Their colors were all of 
the greatest brilliancy and showed off the softest contrast of the 
shades we notices in the rainbows. As the rays of the Sun 
penetrated the transparent surface one could almost imagine a 


50 


A TOUR ON THE PLANET JUPITER 


rich crazy quilt or the most finely hued tapestry moving under the 
waves. 

From our stand, too, the immense stream was a delightful 
scene. It was more regular than they ever will make the huge 
Panama Canal. As far as our eyes could reach, there was not a 
curvature in its course. As our friends told us there is no real 
Ocean on their Planet. All the large streams engirdle that Globe, 
and of course there is no source nor mouth to them. These 
large rivers are, however, connected with each other bv smaller 
ones. In this way the whole Planet has a subsoil irrigation which 
gives perpetual life to grass, plants and trees. 

We passed the whole day on the river to our greatest de- 
light. About sundown we stepped on land again on the opposite 
hank. Our chartered animal steamer was discharged, and while 
he returned to his watery home, we searched for a convenient 
sleeping place under the shadow of some trees. 

“Well,” may remark here some spoiled child of wealth, “it 
is poetical all right to pass the night under the starry heavens and 
drop down into the arms of Morpheus, while the moon is laughing 
at you and interpreting your fantastic dreams, but at the same 
time to lie on a moist soil, in rain and wind, in cold and heat, 
crawled over and tortured by insects, this is extremely prosaical.” 
May be so, but that offspring of degenerated civilization should 
know that things are not so bad here as he imagines. Indeed the 
ground upon which you lie down here to sleep is not hard but 
soft, not moist but pleasantly dry, no creeping animals, no insects, 
no flies, no mosquitoes, in short no animals of any kind in this 
Edenic Garden to molest or bother man, asleep or awake. You 
pick your wholesome supper from the branches above, you lie 
•down contented and thanking God for all His bounties and you 
awake at Sunrise entirely refreshed. No rain in this Jupiter land 
while all roots get their moisture from the subsoil irrigation of 
streams and streamlets, a kind of light, warm and beneficent mist 
drops down at night which endows the leaves and grass with a 
perpetual green of rich color. No, no, there is no prose here, it 
is all poetry and real poetry, too. not one of fancy and imagina- 
tion. Surelv, if the thousands of tramps who roam over Uncle 
Sam’s Dominion would know of the blessed state of affairs on 
Jupiter, thev all would emigrate hither, if they had a chance to 
reach the Planet by some other means than walking the track, 
and the Grand Uncle would certainly be glad to get rid of his un- 
desirable wards. 


SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND ANARCHISM 


51 


CHAPTER XII. 

SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND ANARCHISM 
COMBINED. 

In the preceding chapters the attentive reader must already 
have drawn the conclusion for himself, that under such fortunate 
conditions, as rule on Jupiter, social inequalities, property either 
public, common or private and human authority, would not only 
be useless but detrimental to the happiness of these perfect speci- 
mens of man. We may put it stronger though. Exact Philoso- 
phy asserts that nothing can exist without a sufficient reason. On 
Jupiter, under the supposed conditions, there is not the least rea- 
son for the existence of human authority or ownership of any de- 
scription, hence they cannot exist there, nor do they exist. Nay, 
there are plenty of reasons for the contrary, hence Socialism,. 
Communism and Anarchism in their respective meaning of “Per- 
fect equality, Absence of ownership, and Lack of all human au- 
thority ” is the natural state on that blessed Planet. 

These thoughts occupied my mind one morning, when we 
intended to take a day of rest in our continued wanderings. We 
were sitting under the shade of a gigantic fruit tree. Balva was 
at my side. 

“Mr. Balva,” I said, “can no one of you call anything his 
own on this Globe?” 

“Why should he?” was the curt answer. “Such private 
ownership would be useless and worthless to him. Anywhere he 
finds abundance of all things of which he can make use for his sub- 
sistence and comfort, and no one can or will prevent him to use it. 
Moreover, we do nothing nor confer anything whatever in the' 
production of what is necessary or useful for our physical life or 
happiness. It is all brought forth spontaneously for us by God’s 
kind Providence. There is nothing in it of our own. It is quite 
different on your Planet. The soil and climate there may spon- 
taneously produce for the brute animals all that is needed for 
their subsistence because the Earth was not cursed on their ac- 
count. For sinful man the soil will hardly generate of itself for 
his subsistence or comfort. He has to squeeze it out of it at the' 
sweat of his brow. Therefore, in the production of all these things 
man acquires an inherent ownership to them, because he puts* 
something of his own in it. His labor, whether muscular or 


m 


SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND ANARCHISM 


brainy labor, no one can take this natural property from him, un- 
less he freely gives it away.” 

“So then,” concluded Charley, “one can take here without 
work or trouble, all the luxuries he can wish for, and if he grasps 
more he makes merely a fool of himself. But on this magnificent 
abode, there are no fools, they are all sensible and wise people. 
On Earth, if there was a super-abundance of all kinds of luxuries, 
there would be still greedy fools enough to appropriate to them- 
selves a useless accumulation.” 

“It is evident,” said Dezoo, “that on account of weakened 
mental faculties and inordinate moral dispositions, as man on 
Earth has to struggle with, many will abuse of God’s most liberal 
gifts.” 

“What about Communism?” I asked. “As it is, there is 
neither private nor common ownership amongst you. Amongst 
us there are some perhaps well-intentioned social reformers who 
want to establish common ownership and abolish all private prop- 
erty. In this system all property should belong to the Community 
alias the State. In this way they intend to equalize wealth and 
comfort among the individual members.” 

“Dezoo answered: “In abstract this seems to be plausible. 
In practice it presents quite another view. Property comes from 
individual work or individual production. This is a natural right, 
which even the State can not take away from the owner unless it 
is for the public good and in that case the State can only act as a 
privileged buyer and give the owner a reasonable compensation. 
For the rest the Government is neither a worker nor a producer, 
and can in this way not acquire any property. Now, then, can 

the State acquire such a general and absolute ownership of all 

things ?” 

“I see no other way,” I interposed, “than by the voluntary 
transfer of their property to the State by all the members of the 
Community.” 

“Yes,” said Balva, “theoretically, such transfer could be 
done, if all the members were willing and the Communistic Sys- 
tem could be inaugurated. They could abdicate in favor of the 

State all their personal property and individual products. To 

bring this about you must first make them all of one mind and 
one will. This is practically impossible in a Community of any 
importance among your race, not only on account of their corrupt 
moral nature and selfishness, but still more because it is quite in 
accordance with right, reason and justice that any one shall enjoy 
the profit of his own hands. Moreover, the members of that 


SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND ANARCHISM 


53 


Communistic State cannot pledge to the Government the proper- 
ties of or products of their successors. Hence that general Gov- 
ernment ownership would not possess any stability. This stabil- 
ity would be very precarious, too, because the Government not 
being a producer, all that creates wealth and luxuries, subsistence 
and comfort, must come from the labor of the individuals. This 
would check the individual initiative and cause poverty instead of 
wealth. This is surely not the aim of your Socialists and Com- 
munists? There would be also a great many producers with or 
without their fault. For the last ones a feeling of fellowship may 
let it pass, but the lazy idlers would disturb the whole system. No 
reasonable man would work for such unworthy citizens." 

"Why," fell in Charley, “I would whip those lazy fellows 
into work, like my grandfather did on the plantation.” 

“Yes, but that is not contained in the socialistic charter,” 
retorted Dezoo. “It would be slavery, and the Government or 
rather the State Officials would be slaveholders. This is a con- 
dition unworthy of any rational being. In fact, the ultimate re- 
sult will be: This degrading slavery, or poverty and starvation 
or the breaking up of that whole communistic dream.” 

“What about Anarchism?” turned in Charley once more. 
“Let every one shift for himself and God for us all. Is there not 
perfect Anarchism on this privileged Sphere?” 

“True,” replied Balva, “ we have no kings, no rulers, no 
laws, made by man, no teachers, no army, no generals, no courts, 
no jails. In our Anarchism, however, God is not ignored, not 
banished from our midst as your Anarchists try to do. We find 
joy in complying with all His laws and commands, there is noth- 
ing that incites us to quarrels or rupture of the peace. It is quite 
different with your race. If you Anarchists do not recognize 
the human authority, which moral degradation of your race and 
the nature of your society has made necessary in order to sustain 
public peace and protect life and property, they would be in a 
worse condition than your brute animals in wilds and forests. 
Without human authority but with the recognition of God’s au- 
thority this last would to a certain degree check at least the hu- 
man inordinate tendencies, but it would be insufficient, as there 
will be always a great many among you whose passions cannot 
be moderated than by rod and jail. Your whole history gives us 
full evidence of this. From all this it is clear that man on Earth 
needs the rule of human as well as of Divine authority. Abso- 
lute Socialism, Communism and Anarchism is in contradiction 
with your nature and the conditions under which you live.” 


54 CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM 


CHAPTER XIII. 

CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM. 

The question on Socialism was not exhausted yet, and after 
taking some refreshments, the friendly and interesting debate 
started up again. 

“It is clear/’ I began, “that the Socialism, Communism 
and Anarchism as you enjoy it here are impossible in our abode of 
contrast and misery. Are there, however, no possible substitutes 
for them, which may lighten somewhat the burdensome life for 
the Earth dwellers and soften the pangs that affect all the arteries 
of humanity?” 

“Well,” responded Balva, “you are in possession of an in- 
spired book, which contains the germ of your perfect happiness in 
temporal and eternal life. We read it through with great interest. 
Every page breathes the infinite kindness of God towards your 
race. It made our hearts beat with sorrow and pity for the poor 
Earthly man, who let himself be deceived at the start by the great- 
est fiend in God’s beautiful creation. And they still go on to be 
duped by him or his followers in mankind. With grief in our 
hearts did we see in those inspired pages the terrible consequences 
of the fall of your first parents, but in the midst of vice, ruin and 
wreck, we see with delight and admiration loom up the Divine 
and Central figure spreading light in the darkness through His 
Heavenly doctrine and stretching out a helping hand to your 
crippled and degenerated race, pouring out a mighty stream of 
grace over men, a stream which will never dry up as long as there 
are sinners on Earth. These mysteries of the Son of God made 
man, of the God-Man dying on the Cross to redeem you made our 
hearts thrill and instilled in us the highest esteem and respect for 
tKe human race of which the Son of God became a member. The 
doctrine of your Divine Teacher does not aim only at the salva- 
tion of your soul, but also at the reformation of the very unfor- 
tunate condition of your social life. Both, however, are intimate- 
ly connected so that the one can not be elevated without the other 
being enhanced, the one can not be lowered without the other 
suffering from it. There can. of course, be no question of An- 
archism of any kind. Your fallen nature prevents that Divine 
Authority alone would have much effect amongst you. You need 
a human authority, religious and civil, to straighten up things in 
the wavering of your mind and heart and the confusion of your 


CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM 55 

— — , 

social intercourse. Perfect physical equality is also impossible 
among you as it is. You cannot introduce it among you by any 
means at your disposition. Why then bother your head about 
this? 

“Communism, too, as a general mode of living, is entirely 
out of the question, because private property is the natural effect 
of your condition/’ 

“How about our cloisters and convents?” interrupted Char- 
ley. 

“What are they?” asked Balva. “We do not know them.” 

“Oh,” I came in, “they are really communistic societies of 
religious and pious men and women promising to God to live in 
perfect obedience, poverty and chastity, only the Community owns 
property but no individual member. Even all that the members 
produce by their labor of brains or hands belongs to the commu- 
nity, while the members live on this common wealth and product 
under their Superiors.” 

r ‘I understand now,” said Balva. “It is a higher and more 
spiritual life than the common life according to the counsels of 
your Divine Teacher. But you can certainly not introduce this 
among your whole race. The only thing possible on Eearth is 
Christian Socialism or Socialism of Charity. This would equal- 
ize things a great deal and wipe out many miseries, dry up many 
tears and abolish real poverty. This is not a mere counsel, which 
you may follow or leave alone, this is not a phantastic system. 
This Socialism of Charity is commended by your God-Man Jesus, 
it is clearly and plainly proclaimed to your race in His sublime 
Precept: 'Love your neighbor as yourself for God’s sake/ 

“This precept should be the heading of the Charter of any 
Civil Government, as it is the main command in your religious 
Government and the soul and life of your Church. This love does 
not mean mere natural attraction on account of resemblance. 
This is found even among the brutes.” 

“Birds of one feather flock together,” quoted Charley. 

“If you like your neighbor,” continued Balva, “because he 
has some resemblance with you, it cannot be called ‘love,’ it is 
only a natural impulse that draws you. If you love him for his 
kindness and liberality to you, name it gratitude if you love him 
for his intellectual or moral qualities it is ‘esteem/ This last 
comes the nearest to the sweet word of ‘love,’ but it is not the 
evangelical love. This must be for ‘for God’s sake,’ and not for 
any other reason. You must love your neighbor as yourself for 
God’s sake, commands the Divine Teacher. ‘As yourself’ means 


56 


CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM 


‘Do for your neighbor, what you would reasonably do for your- 
self under the same circumstances.’ Christ, of course, knew your 
nature perfectly well and adapted His precept to the low level of 
your moral qualities. If you, men of the Earth had to love your 
neighbor for his own sake, you would not find many deserving 
of it. Therefore, He elevates your love to a higher standard so 
that you cannot make any exception. You must love even the 
lowest creature among your race. This is a command and obliga- 
tion. There is mention, however, of a higher love still in the doc- 
trine of your God-Man. This is a love of sacrifice, heroic love. 
This is not a command but a counsel only as you have several 
other evangelical counsels. As Jesus gave you the first example 
of that love sacrifice beginning in the stable of Bethlehem, con- 
tinuing in a life of poverty and putting a bloody crown on it at the 
Sacrifice of the Cross. Though not of obligation this love of sac- 
rifice if generally practiced amongst you, would put a crown of 
happiness on your social intercourse and well nigh realize the 
golden dream of equality of your socialists.” 

“Unfortunately,” stepped in Charley, “again not one of our 
Socialists is fit for such a heroic virtue.” 

“I know,” resplied Balva, “it is because he ignores God and 
the teaching of Christ. Still, it is the only means to produce that 
equality in the use of wealth which his system proclaims. En- 
dowed with this heroic love he would divide cheerfully with his 
brother, if he noticed this one enjoys less of it than himself. But 
this love is not of any obligation whatever, and just for this very 
reason you can not impose it on anybody nor generally introduce 
it among you. The only thing left to level your social equalities 
is the command of charity as enacted by Jesus Christ. This, how- 
ever, will have little effect on the universal conditions of your 
society, unless first of all the reign of strict justice is generally 
established and rigidly maintained. Where justice is lacking 
there cannot be question of charity. The observance of this law 
will leave to the author the just fruit of his labor, while it will 
prevent the rich and wealthy to undervalue the price of that pro- 
duction. The laborer could then have an unshaken trust in his 
employer and the last one could put full confidence in his em- 
ploye, without watching him at every step. This justice must be 
taken according to reason and the doctrine of your Divine Social 
Reformer. Though with regard to the principles of justice the 
civil authority must follow as its guide the dictates of right reason 
and principally the teachings of Christ’s Church and the Gospel, 
the practice and application of these theories lies in the province 


A MONKEY SENSATION 


57 


of any lawful Government. Indeed, the only reason for the ex- 
istence of civil authority is the protection of the rights of them, 
who trusted themselves to its paternal care. Therefore, it is the 
strict duty of any Government to make all its laws in accordance 
with strict justice as proclaimed by Christ, reason and the teach- 
ing of the Christian Church and punish any violation of this law 
of justice. The law of charity, as such, does not belong here nor 
to the civil Government, hence it never comes under the heading 
of strict justice. To impose this duty and to enforce it through 
the means of persuasion, this in a special way belongs to the 
Church established by Christ. The only thing civil authority can 
and should do in this is to protect the free exercise of charitable 
works. 

“If now strict justice is generally maintained, it will have 
prepared an easy way to establish the general reign of mutual 
charity. Any one in need among you will find ready help, and 
though there never will be an equality of wealth, still there would 
be certainly an equality of the friendly intercourse and enjoyment 
of social and physical life. As far as your present conditions al- 
low it would make you return once more to the happy life of 
Eden. This would be not Communism, which is impossible for 
you as a general system but true Christian Socialism, a Socialism 
of charity. You must be convinced that Anarchism is out of the 
question anywhere amongst your race, whether in religion or civil 
Government. You always will be in need of human authority 
approved by God.” 


CHAPTER XIV. 

A MONKEY SENSATION. 

We had travelled now a long distance. We must have cov- 
ered as much road as if we had made three trips around the Earth. 
Nothing had escaped our attention in this new and admirable 
world. We were very far from our starting point. Everywhere 
we found the identical form of innate conditions, whether intellec- 
tual, moral, social or physical. Our own nature seemed to have 
undergone a partial change in the midst of that blessed atmos- 
phere. Our intellect was as if it had taken wings, the moral pow- 
er of our will was increased, even our physical nature had shared 
somewhat among those surroundings of ease and comfort. I may 
agree here with Darwin, that better surroundings may bring a 
change for the better in plant or animal, but this is very far from 


58 


A MONKEY SENSATION 


the assertion of that same versatile naturalist and philosopher 
that such a change of environments will or can change the nature 
of that animal or plant, or transfer it to another and higher 
species. Put a man, or for that matter a monkey, in Heaven and 
they will remain what they are, man or monkey. Man, however, 
will find there plenty of food for his intellectual power and devel- 
opment; the monkey would not find there anything to better its 
condition. It may imitate the movements of the human body, it 
could not monkey with the intellectual activity of Angels. 

We certainly felt a strong influence in these religous meet- 
ings that were held every morning and night on that favored 
Globe. We would not miss them now for anything, it was a great 
feast for us every time. 

A strange thing happened one night when we were entirely 
absorbed in those pious devotions. Balva and Deezoo took active 
part that night in the ceremonies. Charley and myself were 
standing on the outskirts of the meeting grounds. In the midst 
of my devout meditations I was aroused by Charley standing at 
my side. 

“Look yonder,” he muttered, pointing with his finger to a 
distant part of the opposite side of the large space at the moment 
that all the worshippers lay flat on the ground. “A couple of 
monkeys attending the religious worship. They surely are Jupiter 
monkeys with a religious ambition.” 

“Hush !” I answered. I got just time enough to glance at 
them with some attention, when the worshippers were on their 
feet again and the strange monkeys disappeared from view. Af- 
ter the ceremony the queer incident had escaped our memory, as 
our minds and hearts were taken up with pious thoughts and’ as- 
pirations. I had seen enough though to make me believe that 
there were two real Jupiter monkeys that had been attracted by 
these solemn exercises. 

Silently we loitered to our sleeping place under the green 
umbrella of a tree. That night I dreamed that I was roaming 
through Southern Asia. When I came to on the border of a thick 
forest on the slope of a high mountain, my eye caught a most 
charming panorama. An immense valley lay before me encircled 
by forest covered hills. Three magnificent rivers flowed through 
it in serpentine fashion, amongst flowers and rows of gigantic 
trees laden not only with the golden fruit of the Hesperides but 
witn the most various kinds that may tempt the taste of man. 

“Oh,” I soliloquized, “this must be the long searched for 
Garden of Eden.” 


A MONKEY SENSATION 


59 


Hardly had I finished, when from under the thick foliage of 
trees I spied two handsome figures — a giant of a man with sym- 
metrical form and a good-sized woman with the attractions of a 
Madonna of Raphael playing like innocent children with a couple 
of majestic lions. “And Adam and Eve/’ I muttered, “are still 
there, too.” I was just running down hill to join them in their 
frolicking when a rude pull at my ears made it all vanish. 

“What are you doing, Fred?” I heard Charley say. “Are 
you philosophizing, poetizing or dramatizing?” 

“Why do you awake me, Charley?” I complained. “I just 
found the secluded spot in Asia that science in vain has tried to 
discover. I found it with all its beauties, and Adam and Eve were 
there still.” 

“This Eden is good enough for us,” argued Charley. 

“Never mind that,” I concluded, “I am awake now and it is 
time to be so.” 

At breakfast, Charley still teased me about my dream, when 
he stopped suddenly and exclaimed: 

“What do I Rear? French sounds?” 

I listened attentively. 

“Yes, yes,” I said, “so it is. They must be your monkeys 
of last night,” I joked. 

We both jumped up, leaving our meal half finished, and 
raced like hares in the direction of the sounds followed overhead 
by our two flying friends. We did not run very far, when our 
two French monkeys gallopped towards us in full speed, too. I 
was soon in the embrace of one who, according to Parisian 
etiquette, hugged me and nearly crushed my bones. 

“Oh,” he cried, “you here, Mr. Hartfordt?” How happy, 
how infinitely happy I am to see you again.” 

“I also am extremely glad we meet once more,” I could not 
help saying, while more from the crushing than from the emotion- 
al excitement two tears rolled over my cheeks. A few steps from 
Mr. Clemenceau and myself another collision occurred between 
Charley and the other monkey, alias Mr. Santos Dumont, but 
more in an every-day style, i. e., with a hearty handshake. 

After a general mutual greeting, we all sat down to finish 
the second half of our breakfast, after which we cross-examined 
each other. 

“How did you strand on this Planet, Mr. Dumont?” started 
out Charley. 

“Excuse me,” interposed Mr. Clemenceau, “if I answer for 
my friend. He may not like to tell the story straight, and he has 


A MONKEY SENSATION 


plenty of reasons for that. Hear me then. Young men, and it 
ought to be so, are commonly very ambitious and follow the Yan- 
kee principle: Aim high and you will reach far. You know Mr, 
Santos Dumont is half a Yankee anyhow. It went then this way: 
Mr. Dumont is the most famous and clever Aeronaut on the 
face of the Earth. He did not want to lose the championship 
through his mighty competitor, Mr. Stuart. Well, then, he surely 
flew high but so high that he lost his bearings and did not know 
where he was in the wide expanse of the heavens. At last we got 
stuck, the blamed ship did not want to go up or down. There we 
were in a state of despair. How it happened I do not know, but 
suddenly there came motion in the sleep. Our Aircraft began to 
whirl around and was taken up by a whirlwind column of some 
kind of stuff, I cannot define. Neither of us remember what fur- 
ther happened as we remained senseless until we found ourselves 
drifting freely in the attraction of this splendid Globe. We could 
do nothing else than land, and we did this very far from here." 

“Well, Mr. Clemenceau," I added, we have about the same 
story to tell, but I waver if it was the same column. Why did we 
not see each other when taken up or thrown out by this strange 
Automobile and why did we land so far from each other?" 

“These whirling columns," said Balva, “are frequent in 
some parts of the heavens. If both Airships were swallowed up 
by the same one it was not at the same time. A little difference 
here in time makes an enormous difference in distance travelling 
upwards and on a level at a rate of two hundred miles a minute. 
No wonder that you did not See each other neither when you en- 
tered nor when you left that airy conveyance. This explains also 
why you landed so far apart." 


FAMILIAR CHATS 


61 


CHAPTER XV. 

FAMILIAR CHATS. 

Charley was in a teasing mood. He asked the Frenchman: 
“Were you at Church last night, Mr. Clemenceau ?” 

“Of course, I was,” he answered, “the most impious infidel 
could not help to have religion here and worship at these admira- 
ble services, not only with respect but with the greatest devotion 
and relish.” 

“That is right,” continued Charley, “but that is not what I 
was aiming at. Do you know we took you for a couple of monk- 
eys ?” 

“Ah! Ah!” laughed the Frenchman. “You were not so 
very wrong after all, young man, speaking for myself at least. I 
indeed, I was a kind of a foolish monkey the greatest part of my 
life. I wanted to imitate those who, I thought, were great and 
famous social reformers without consulting right or reason, 
thanks to these good men, whom I may call the jewels of human- 
ity. I evolutionized here from a monkey into a reasonable man, 
notwithstanding the utter falsehood of Darwin’s godless system.” 

“So,” I broke in, “you are not a socialist any more.” 

“More than ever,” was his prompt reply, “but a Socialist of 
the true kind, a Socialist in Jesus Christ. Our Lord was the true 
and greatest social reformer for sinful mankind, that ever existed 
or will exist. This change, too, Mr. Hartfordt, I do not owe 
either to your Philosophy, how wise and deep it may be, or to the 
practical sense of the Yankees. It was this perfect mankind and 
the happiest of all Socialisms I witnessed here which gave another 
turn to my mind.” 

“Do you give up your old socialistic principles, Mr. Clem- 
enceau,” interrupted Charley. 

“Not at all,” answered the Frenchman with vivacity. “On 
the contrary, what I saw here convinced me more and more of 
their metaphysical truth. Perfect happiness among man is only 
possible with ample super-abundance of all that is good for the in- 
tellectual, moral and physical life of man. This is splendidly ex- 
emplified on this Planet. The principles of Socialism, Communism 
and even Anarchism perfectly agree with the state of affairs here. 
Theoretically I was all right, practically all wrong. I acted like 
the alchemist, who wanted to make diamonds out of coal. Earth 
and its inhabitants with their imperfect nature and corrupt hearts 


62 


FAMILIAR CHATS 


and the poor physical conditions that rule there, is unfit for per- 
fect, complete Socialism. I wonder now how I could be so blind 
not to see that.” 

“It is always the generous heart of Mr. Clemenceau that is 
at work,” remarked Mr. Dumont with a mischievous smile. 
“When he was a young student his whole mind was set upon be- 
coming a priest and a first-class one, too, in order to devote his 
whole life to the general interest of mankind to its temporal and 
eternal bliss. Just then the wave of Liberalism spread over Eu- 
lope, especially over France. This Liberalism, hatched out from 
Freemason principles, was a grand, pious hypocrite and at first de- 
ceived many noble minds, even among priests and dignataries of 
the Church. What wonder if my friend with his generous juven- 
ile impetousity was carried away by it. It was a pity, though, that 
st turned the current of his noble ambition. The young student 
persuaded himself that he could do more effective work as a lay- 
man, and the priesthood was given up; his studies, however, con- 
tinued under the direction of avowed Liberal Professors. Then 
came modern Socialism, the offspring of Literalism. And from its 
beginning the young man threw himself into the arena and tur- 
moil with heart and soul. Still it was all the fault of his generous 
ambition.” 

“Hold on, my friend,” scolded Clemenceau. “Why must 
you betray the greatest secret of my life, a secret which I never 
revealed, even to my wife and children. If I were not an entirely 
changed man, though you were always my best friend, I would 
challenge you, too, but no, you told the truth anyhow. I must 
look the truth right in its unblemished face, I piust mend the 
wrong in my ways.” 

“Yes, yes,” chimed in Charley, “but you did not tell us 
what you mean by incomplete Socialism.” 

“Well,” replied the Frenchman, “these giant teachers made 
me discover it. It is that Socialism which is laid down in the 
doctrine of that greatest and noblest benefactor of mankind: Je- 
sus Christ, the God-Man of our Lord, a Socialism too much Ig- 
nored and too much neglected.” 

“Why, Mr. Clemenceau, you are talking like a priest now,” 
joked Charley. 

Mr. Clemenceau smiled. We congratulated him, while I 
concluded: “We all are in the same ship now under the same 
flag” 


PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE 


63 


CHAPTER XVI. 

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. 

For several days we dwelled together like brethren and 
formed a model socialistic community. Not one dared broach 
the thorny question of separation or return to our old Planet. 

Charley broke the ice. 

“Mr. Clemenceau,” he said, “you are so enthusiastic with 
these beautiful regions, you will never go back to Earth any 
more, I suppose now?’' 

“You are putting rather an indiscreet question,” the French- 
man replied. “I can hardly answer it.” 

“Excuse me,” interrupted Mr. Dumont, “I shall answer for 
my friend and render him the service he rendered me not long 
since. Certainly, Mr. Clemenceau’s most cherished wish would 
be to stay here for the remainder of his life, but he has in his 
beautiful France, a devoted wife he can never forget, and several 
children, who possess all his love.” 

“And you, Mr. Dumont, can you forget your wife and child- 
ren who must think that you are dead or have forsaken them, un- 
less you return to them?” retorted Mr. Clemenceau. But you did 
not say all. I have more peremptory reasons than that to go 
back to Earth, though I fervently wish I were allowed to remain 
here. You have no public wrongs to repair. Oh, a sight quivers 
here before my eyes that makes me tremble my France, my beauti- 
ful France, how many thousands did I deceive; I thought I was 
leading you to serene pastures of peace and happiness, and I 
aroused a sleeping lion, who has wrought disturbance and de- 
struction from one end of your boundaries to the other. I tore 
you away from your old religion which was the glory of your 
flag. I imagined that religion was made abuse of in order to op- 
press the common people, to subjugate them and keep them poor 
and miserable. This prompted me to antagonize the Church I 
loved and revered once. I banished religion and God from laws 
and courts, from school and family. I closed monasteries, con- 
vents and Churches. I sent the noblest children of France into 
exile. It was all under the pretense of separation between State 
and Church. I tried to crush the power and beneficent influence 
of the Church to divinize the Government and make it all power- 
ful without God and without Religion. Did I make the people 
happier, the poor richer or more contented? Alasj my socialistic 


64 


PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE 


system only made a few unscrupulous millionaiares on one side 
and increased poverty a hundredfold on the other. You see, my 
friends, how necessary it is for me to repair, if possible, the harm 
I have done to my people and the world, and to do penance for 
my evil-doings that God and the Angels may forgive me. To 
perform this I must return to the Earth.” He pathetically con- 
cluded: “To do penance in this Garden of luxuries and comfort 
would certainly be an impossibility.” 

“Oh,” consoled Dumont, “we shall take up our Airboat 
again and cross once more the space between Jupiter and the 
Earth. We may find our way better now.” 

“I do not know, Captain,” laughed Clemenceau, who had 
regained his spirits, “it is just as likely that you may miss your 
bearings again and land me on the Sun or somewhere in the 
Milky Way. I would be worse off than ever.” 

“Never mind,” interposed one of our Jupiter friends, “one 
of us will pilot you far enough that you can not miss your 
Planet.” 

“Bravo!” exclaimed Clemenceau. “To you, my noble 
friends, I trust my life, my soul, my all. Dumont, you come 
along with us. You have a wife and children that need you still. 
Mr. Stuart and Mr. Hartfordt left nothing behind that they can 
regret. Let those young men stay here and never see misery 
again.” 

“It is evident,” remarked Dezoo, that God did not make 
you for our Planet nor for our kind of life. His Divine Provi- 
dence favored you in bringing you here and affording you an in- 
sight of a race different from yours in many points and a Code of 
physical laws unknown on your Planet. You had better go back 
to the Earth all of you and work for the welfare of your brethren, 
that they may make the best of the struggling conditions under 
which they labor.” 

“Let it be so then,” sighed Charley, “and if we do not meet 
each other any more in this World, let us try to meet each other 
in Heaven.” 

“Amen,” we answered in a chorus, while Clemenceau liked 
more his French equivalent and chanted above all the others: 
“Ainsi soit il.” 


PREPARATIONS FOR OUR RETURN TO MOTHER EARTH 65 


CHAPTER XVII. 

PREPARATIONS FOR OUR RETURN TO MOTHER 
EARTH. 

The hour of separation sounded again between the two 
parties that went up from San Francisco into the unknown re- 
gions of the sky and met so strangely on the Planet Jupiter. 

Both parties were now far from the airships that were 
waiting to carry us back to the land of our birth. The farewell 
was affectionate. Still, we were in the best hopes and spirits. 

We had seen all that could interest us of man and land. So 
each party went his way back to their starting point guided by 
their respective chaperons. When we reached the familiar spot 
which we had left so long since, we found everything undisturbed. 
Our clothing was in the boat covered with the canvas of the Bal- 
loon just as we arranged it. We passed a few days with our 
friends there. Happy moments they were, but they could not last 
long. The time of our departure had come. 

We began to rig out for the return flight to the land of 
trials. Charley was greatly puzzled. “How in the world shall I 
get gas and electricity here?” he murmured. 

“Never mind that,” said our friend. “That is not the 
first thing we have to prepare. You must have two cabins, one on 
the fore and the other on the aft end of your craft.” 

“Why is that?” I asked. 

“Tt is needed for both of you,” was the answer, “in case we 
have to get out or into the attraction of a Planet. Else you will 
fall out.” 

Balva and Dezoo betook themselves each to a tree standing 
near by. They were of enormous size, their trunks measuring 
about twelve feet in diameter. For a knife they broke off a leaf 
of the next trees which was stiff and strong like steel, with sharp 
edges, while the stem of the leaf served as a handle. With this 
they cut off a strip of the bark. This bark, when fresh, was soft 
and pliable but soon became strong and hard like oak wood. 

But what about nails? Though I did not see any iron 
nails, nails grew plentifully on trees. They are simply thorns of 
all sizes, very much pointed, round and stronger than steel nails. 
So it was that Balva and Dezoo cut off handfuls of these tree- 
nails, and in no time the cabins were neatly fixed and looked 
quite handsome. ,v 

The next thing was to reload our dead batteries. Balva 


66 preparations for our return to mother earth 


took a twig, held one end in his hands, connected the other end 
with our batteries and charged them so strongly that he had to 
warn us not to touch them, else we might be electrocuted, while 
these electric men themselves could handle the most strongly 
charged live wire with impunity. 

And the gas? No gas plants here, sure enough. Our 
Balloon lay dead on the ground. No worry about it. Our 
friends know a way out in everything. Charley anchored the can- 
vas to the ground, that it should not take a flight on its own hook 
and leave us behind. Balva noticed the funnel at each pole of the 
Balloon. 

“What is that for?” he asked. We told him it was to de- 
crease the volume of the inflated Balloon and keep the same 
weight but occupy less space. 

“There are certainly,” remarked Balva, “ingenious men 
among your race.” 

He took in hand the hose, which was connected with the 
Balloon, made a hole in the ground with the stick he had used to 
revive our dynamo, with a hissing sound the clearest, the purest 
and the lightest gas sprung up, the hose was inserted in the aper- 
ture, the Balloon began to wriggle and to swell and soon lay 
there puffed up to its full capacity impatient to challenge the 
skies. Balva. who understood things better than the best Aero- 
naut, made the two funnels ply until the gas in the Balloon seem- 
ed to be as hard and as heavy as a block of stone, in the usual size 
of the football again. 

Everything was now ready to start. Thousands of our 
Jupiter friends were there to see us off. We realized this solemn 
moment more than I could tell. Our hearts were heavy and ex- 
tremely sorry. We felt that Divine Providence had not made us to 
share forever the life of these perfect men in these regions of 
peace, happiness and luxury. We wanted to don our clothing 
again. Balva stopped us saying: 

“No need of that yet. You shall have plenty of time to do 
so up in the sky.” 

We shook hands with every one present, but emotion pre- 
vented us from uttering a word. We embarked. The whole 
crowd waved a last farewell, and up we shot like an arrow. Tears 
rolled over my cheeks when I had a last glimpse of that happy re- 
gion I would never see again. I felt like Adam and Eve driven 
from earthly Paradise. We could not utter a word after we felt 
that Jupiter had disappeared from our sight and we were alone 
with our pilot Balva in the upper regions of the heavens. 


ON OUR WAY BACK TO OLD EARTH 


67 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

ON OUR WAY BACK TO OLD EARTH. 

The vertiginous velocity with which we had ascended made 
it impossible to calculate the distance we were now from the Plan- 
et we left awhile ago. We had also been too much affected by 
our departure and last farewell to realize that rapidity. 

Suddenly our Captain Balva roused us from our deep medi- 
tation. 

“Soon,” he said, “we leave the attraction of Jupiter. I 
shall have to turn the aft end of the boat towards that Planet. You 
had better, therefore, go down into the aft cabin and lie flat on the 
floor of the boat, that you may not be hurled out into space.” 

So we did. Balva made now the little craft stand on her 
back end. The Balloon rose in a straight line with the foreend 
and the length of the ship. Balva himself had taken his feet off 
the floor and was hanging in mid-air, flapping his wings and 
working the Motor. It did not last long, when the Balloon seem- 
ed to lose all its vitality and dropped underneath the back end of 
our canoe. Balva’s wings, too, ceased flapping and folded on his 
back while his feet found a resting place on the floor again so that 
he was standing now at a right angle with our position, that is, 
Reader, imagine one man walking up the wall of your room and 
you standing on the floor of that same room. However, it was 
Balva who was standing on the floor while we two were in reality 
the acrobatic wall walkers, though it did not look nor feel that 
way. Balva stood as solid on the floor as we stood against the 
side of the cabin, or rather I should say vice versa. 

Charley took it at any rate as if Balva was standing upon 
the side of the wall and on the floor and cried : 

“Miracle !” 

“Oh, no,” replied Balva, “this is quite in accordance with 
the natural laws which rule here. We are out of the attraction of 
any and all Planets. There is no up or down, no weight whatever 
in matter. Your body can only be displaced or moved here at the 
command of your will. You may move it in any position, in any 
direction, there is no resistance, no friction of any kind. Your 
mind has the full and only control of its body without any hin- 
drance whatever. You may come out of your cabin now and 
stand erect on the floor of the ship as I do.” 

We felt so solid on the side of the cabin that we were afraid 


68 


ON OUR WAY BACK TO OLD EARTH 


to follow his advice and stroll up the wall as acrobats and make a 
light angle with ourselves. That way it appeared at least to us. 

“Come on," encouraged Balva, as he walked down that wall 
and took both of us with his hands. We tottered out, and directly 
felt that we were standing as solid in that as in our former posi- 
tion. 

“What do you think about this, you veteran Philosopher?" 
enquired Charley of me. 

“That’s all right," I answered meekly, “it agrees entirely 
with all the laws of Metaphysics and Physics. If our body moves 
here nothing else than our own will can move it." 

“Well," suggested Balva, while the boat stopped, “now you 
rnay go and enjoy a stroll in the sky." 

We wavered. He stepped out of the boat in the airy ex- 
panse, walked under the keel with his head down and his feet 
against the bottom underneath and reappeared on the other side 
with his head up again. This drove all misgivings out of Char- 
ley’s sporty soul. He stepped out, and I, well, what could I do 
else than take my life in my hands and follow suit. The first step 
over was enough to make a brave hero of myself. Oh, what a 
strange sensation; I was not hanging, not standing, not flying, 
not lying and still moving about in space at the bidding of my own 
sweet will. We were indeed under a charm and spell. We never 
felt more free. We became suddenly like two playful children. 
We walked and trotted. We ran and we raced. We jumped and 
danced. We leaped and we tumbled at heart’s pleasure. Charley 
was even wilder than myself. His whole sportive soul expanded 
to its fullest intensity. 

“Let us have a fine wrestle, Fred," he cried, and at once he 
grasped me in Cornish style. 

“Queer," said Charley, when he got the best of me, “I can- 
not floor you." 

“There is no floor here," I replied laughing, “but I pro- 
claim you the champion of the wrestlers in these high regions. 
Will that do, Charley?" 

“No, that won’t do at all, Fred. I am not through yet with 
my fun. You stand there straight. I go down beneath you and 
then climb up as on a ladder, but without a ladder onto the top of 
your head." 

He did so and cried out: “Hurrah!" stretching out his 
arms. He was in the highest spirits. 

“Now, Fred," he muttered, “you keep quiet. I am going to 
play the champion tumbler. Gentlemen and Ladies," he spoke as 


ON OUR WAY BACK TO OLD EARTH 


69 


if standing in the Grand Circus, “I am about to perform a feat 
that no mortal man ever tried before me, either among the 
Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians or Chinese. I shall presently dive 
from the head of my companion into mid-air, I shall tumble and 
roll and double up myself and at the finish I shall stand with my 
feet against his feet head down.” 

And down jumped Charley and rolled about and performed 
summersault after summersault until really he stood against my 
feet giggling like a little innocent child. 

“Let us turn wheel now,” he laughed. 

I was carried away myself with his merry laughter. So, 
while each of us were the radius and our feet the center, we began 
to turn slowly first, and then faster and faster. To Balva in the 
boat we must have looked like a rapidly turning wheel of 
which we were the spokes. At the end of our wheel making ex- 
ploit. Charley stood with his head upward, I with my head down- 
ward. In the highest glee and as in a trance of admiration he 
sang out with his clear and full baritone: “Glory to You, O God 
on High, how deep are the mysteries of Nature; how admirable 
are all Your works.” 

We had enough now of our experimental play, and we 
walked back to our ship just as we were standing, I with my feet 
on top and Charley in the opposite manner. The one was as easy 
as the other. Our Captain Balva received us with an approving 
smile. The exercise actuated our stomach and we took our sup- 
per with a hearty appetite from the fruit taken along on leaving 
Jupiter. After the common night devotion we relaxed our 
roused nerves in a peaceful sleep. When I awoke in the morning, 
I found Balva kneeling with his hands outstretched toward Hea- 
ven in the attitude of a Saint in prayer. To my great wonder I 

did not see Charley. I looked around, and . But what do 

you think I spied him lying fast asleep in mid-air a little 

distance away. 

“Charley,” I cried “what are you doing there?” 

“Hum,” he muttered, and turned about, as if lying in bed. 

“Charley,” I yelled a second time, “get awake and come 

here ” 

“Where, where am I?” he answered this time at least half 

awake. 

“You are sleeping in mid-air,” was my reply. “Come and 
walk back to the boat.” 

So he did, but he walked as it were in a lying position until 
he came near on a level with the canoe. 


70 


ON OUR WAY BACK TO OLD EARTH 


“Stand up, then,” I remarked. 

“True, too,” he said laughing. “Queer region this; I did 
not know I was walking and lying in bed at the same time.” 

He stood erect and stepped in. 

“You must have been dreaming over our antics of yester- 
day, Charley.” 

“So I did, and I had the greatest fun.” 

We broke our fast and proceeded on our way. 

“We will travel two or three days,” remarked our Captain, 
“before we reach the boundaries of this immense space without 
attraction.” 

Indeed we did, notwithstanding our dynamo worked splen- 
didly, not having to overcome any resistance. Meantime our 
Balloon was dragging behind like a corpse. On the advice of 
Balva we donned our clothes again. 

At last our pilot stopped the ship for a moment and said: 
“Lie down this time in the fore cabin, for within a few moments 
we strike' planetary attraction again, and I have to point the fore- 
part towards the Planet whence the attraction rises.” 

Hardly had we done this when Balva took his wings again 
while working the machine. His feet were turned towards the 
Planet. At once the Balloon got life and wings and flew in 
triumph high over our heads. The ship swung with its bottom 
towards the new attraction and Balva was standing again on his 
feet on the floor. 

“You may come out of your hiding place now,” he gently 
commanded. You are quite safe standing on the floor of the ship, 
but do not try to walk out of it any more.” 


FAREWELL TO BALYA 


71 


CHAPTER XIX. 

FAREWELL TO BALVA. 

In about the same manner we sailed between the Planets 
for several days. We crossed from one planetary attraction into 
another. Our able Captain in the midst of the immense airy ex- 
panse knew better how to calculate his direction and find his 
whereabouts without a compass than the most scientific and prac- 
tical Ocean Captain with his compass and all the means of modern 
science. Sometimes we had a dim glimpse of a Planet which ap- 
peared like a lonely island seen from the ship’s deck at a great dis- 
tance. We had been cruising in this way for several days when 
one evening, as darkness was all around us, Balva pointed to what 
seemed to be the glimmering of a far off star. 

“You see that?” he remarked, “that is the sattelite of your 
Earth. It is a long way off still, but I expect we will be in its at- 
traction tomorrow morning.” 

The Sun was shining bright high in the sky when we open- 
ed our eyes next morning. The Airship was going at the top 
speed as usual. Nothing was in sight except the transparent sky, 
when unexpectedly we noticed a black point separating itself from 
the surrounding atmosphere. Gradually it loomed up like a high 
mountain a great distance. We strained our eyes to get a clear 
view of it. Certainly it was some kind of a Planet. Was it the 
Earth ? We were not near enough to make it out, but we noticed 
a mass of high mountains, with deep valleys between. Balva was 
still steeling towards that sphere when suddenly he turned off into 
another direction. 

“What Planet was that?” I asked. 

“That is your Moon,” he replied. “My stay with you will 
be short now. Towards evening we shall reach the Earth’s at- 
traction and my mission shall be fulfilled. You will be near 
enough to your Planet to find your way.” 

This intimation threw a chill upon our heart, which for a 
long while had enjoyed the sunshine of imperturbable peace and 
happiness. It was the first warning that we were approaching 
again the land of trials and miseries. It was as if we felt the first 
smell of sin and pestilence rising from the atmosphere, which we 
were soon to enter into. We remained speechless for a few mo- 
ments. At last I gathered all my courage and spoke to Balva: 

“Why, you best of friends, leave us so soon? Why not 


72 


FAREWELL TO BALVA 


come with us and show the Earth dwellers what they would be if 
they would banish sin from their hearts and dry up the stream of 
vice, which is flowing as a continual curse upon the surface of the 
Earth ?” 

‘‘Yes,” added Charley, “if you tell merely your simple story 
to the children of Adam, it would be more eloquent, more effec- 
tive than the sermon of the greatest preacher that ever spoke on 
Earth.” 

“Surely not as effective as your Divine Preacher, Jesus 
Christ,” replied Balva smiling. 

“I must always except Him,” rejoined Charley demurely. 

“Well, my friends, your request reminds me of what I read 
m your Sacred Book about the rich miser. I must give you the 
same answer Abraham poured upon that miser, with a little note 
of variation. If the love of your Divine Redeemer, his life of 
sacrifice, His Passion on the Cross, His Holy Doctrine, His pure 
morality, His grace, His Church with its infallibility, the examples 
of your Saints do not open the eyes of all and every man on 
Earth, if it does not melt a heart of stone, and make them all pure 
and sinless, surely among you, my story, my preaching might ex- 
cite the curiosity of the earthly man but it never can supplement 
or improve that which you find in your Divine Religion.” 

Meantime we had crossed the dividing line between the at- 
traction of Moon and Earth, and our Airship was descending at a 
good rate. Darkness had expanded its black veil, the silver disc 
of the Moon appeared to have tenfold its usual size, and its dim 
rays threw rather sadness into our hearts just at this moment. It 
is always sad to say farewell to a friend, whom we do not hope to 
see again for a long time, but here it was a farewell forever, a 
farewell into eternity, which we expected at every moment, a fare- 
well to the best of friends. There was supreme silence. Balva 
was maneuvring the airship still. He turned around to Charley: 

“Here.” he said quietly, “take my place. You can easily 
manage now the remainder of your trip. I must leave you this 
moment and return to my brethren. Good bye. May God bless 
you.” He spread out his wings and was soon soaring high above 
us. The Moon went down on the Western slope. With uplifted 
bands we stared after him. The shadow of our dear guide showed 
itself for the last time, passing between the Moon and our ship 
and vanished forever. Meantime, we had entirely forgotten our 
airship. 

“Charley,” I said, “it is all over now. You are my Captain 


BACK ON OLD EARTH 


73 


again. Don’t you see, we are drifting wild. Take care of your 
ship.” 

“True,” replied Charley, rousing himself. Here I am at the 
helm again. I wonder, however,” he added, “how our good 
friend Balva can take such a long flight to Jupiter without rest- 
ing?” 

“Oh,” I answered, “he may rest on his wings in the sky as 
those original men rest on their wings in the water, or he may 
make a diversion to some Planet on his way and repose there for 
a day or so.” 

“I expected, Fred, you would have some kind of an answer 
in the case. You always find a way out of the difficulty.” 


CHAPTER XX. 

BACK ON OLD EARTH. 

Charley had regained his spirits, while managing the air- 
ship. 

“My ship is in bettei condition than it was ever before,” 
argued Charley, with satisfaction. These men of Jupiter are 
splendid shipwrights, though they may never have learned the 
trade. “I am at a loss, however, to make out in what direction we 
are drifting.” 

Just then the Moon had vanished on our back into an 
Ocean of darkness. Only the dancing stars peeped flickering 
through the black veil that enwrapped the sky. 

“Well, Captain,” I said, “do you not see that we are going 
Eastward ?” 

“That only tells me, Mr. Philosopher,” said Charley, “that I 
am not steering toward either Pole. But it does not settle my 
question. You must have a determined point from which you 
count East. Whether this point be Queenstown, Paris, New York, 
or Peking. As it is, we may be East of Asia, or of America or of 
Europe, etc. We may be above the Pacific or Atlantic.” 

“I strike the flag before my Captain, ”1 answered, “but I 
honestly think that it would be prudent to lower the Balloon far 
enough to find out at least whether we are floating above land or 
Ocean.” 

So he did. After quite awhile the roaring sound of wild 
waves struck our ears. What Ocean was it? Impossible to know 
for the moment. 

“I will steer due East,” muttered Charley. “If it is the 


74 


BACK ON OLD EARTH 


Pacific we shall land in America. If the Atlantic we shall strike 
Earth somewhere on the Old Continent. No matter, as long as 
we are not thrown into Central Africa or the Himelayes.” 

“Oh, look there, I see far in the East thousands of dim 
lights, in a bundle, as if it were the milky way.” 

“It appears that way, indeed, Fred,” replied Charley calmtyy 
while he spied the light with care. “I think, however, we are near 
land, and that milky way is a large city in its night gown of Elec- 
tricity.” 

Pretty soon as we approached nearer we were sure it was a 
city. The night was far gone now. The first rays of the morn- 
nig light sprang out of the dark waves in the East and gave us a 
better view of our surroundings. I looked down. 

“We are over a river,” I cried, “the water reflecting intense- 
ly the light of dawn. “What river may it be?” 

“Never mind,” Charley said, “we land in a civilized country, 
that is the main thing,” and he directed the airship towards the 
banks. 

We were soaring over a small village. A clearance was 
soon found. We saw milk wagons driving towards the city that 
was, I supposed, not far away. A few early risers had grouped 
near the landing place. 

“Where are we?” was Charley’s first question, as soon as 
we were at speaking distance. 

“Qu’est-ce qu’il dit,” came the French answer. “They are 
the Englishmen that were expected in Paris last night coming 
from Marseilles,” they continued among themselves in their pic- 
turesque language. 

This was a warning to me. Charley did not understand 
them. When we reached ground, one of the little crowd re- 
marked : 

“You must have been driven quite a ways over the sea and 
rough weather at that. The balloonists, who competed with you, 
arrived from Marseilles in time.” 

“Well,” I answered innocently, “we lost the race then, but 
we are safe.” 

“You Englishmen, you are original, anyhow,” scanning 
our Balloon, which lay quietly on the soil. “How could you 
make the trip with a Balloon not much bigger than a football? 
and that queer canoe with a cabin on each end. That saved you 
from drowning, I guess.” 

“It saved us from falling out of the boat, at any rate,” I re- 
plied cooly. 


BACK ON OLD EARTH 


75 


“What are these Frenchmen chattering about?” inquired 
Charley. 

I told him in substance. 

“It is a pity, Fred,” he laughed, “that you did not become a 
lawyer.” 

“Why so, Charley?” 

“Because a good lawyer ought to know how to make peo- 
ple believe in a falsehood without telling a lie.” 

Charley meantime had prepared everything to free the 
Balloon of its compressed gas and pack up the whole rigging. The 
Frenchmen helped him in this with the politest alacrity. They 
procured a wagon for him to haul it to the nearest station half a 
mile off. The airship was billed there for Marseilles, where we 
intended to sail for the United States. As we were about four 
miles from Paris, we went to the village hotel to take a little rest, 
a lunch and a good washing. 

When we were seated in our room at the hotel, and from 
his Havana, which luxury he had not enjoyed for a long time, 
Charley was sending into space a variety of smoke curls, he threw 
in the remark: 

“By your way of acting with those Frenchman you saved 
us a great deal of annoyance.” 

“How so, Charley?” 

“You know, that when a Frenchman becomes enthusiastic, 
he makes a fool of himself from what he hears. Had they known 
that we came fresh from Jupiter, they certainly would have picked 
up some dining-room table, put a couple of armchairs upon it 
and carried us around on their heads through the streets of the 
village and perhaps through the principal avenues of Paris, as if 
we were monkeys just out of the jungles, or black kings from Cen- 
tral Africa. Let us remain silent about our adventures as long as 
we are among those enthusiasts.” 

So we agreed. 


76 


EXCITEMENT AT) (PARIS 


CHAPTER XXI. 

EXCITEMENT AT PARIS. 

Next morning we boarded the early train for Paris and 
took rooms at the Hotel American. We were relishing our 
breakfast and were about half through, when I heard a news- 
paper vender yell at the top of his voice : 

“The greatest news ever heard. The noble son of France, 
the king of Socialism, just back from a trip to the stars.” 

I jumped up bareheaded, ran down the staircase three steps 
at a time, tumbled over a waiter in the entrance hall with a tray 
in his hands and a full breakfast on it, throwing the poor fellow 
on his back, while the crockery and the precious contents were 
scattered right and left, and whilst a muffled curse was hurled af- 
ter me, I hurried down the street steps, stumbled on the sidewalk 
against a Parisian Belle, who muttered something about drunken 
Englishmen. I cried to the disappearing news boy: “The Figaro 
please.” 

The boy hastened back, handed me the paper, while I put a 
Franc in his hands and turned about. But the boy held me by 
the coat. 

“Here is your change, Monsieur 1* Americain. The Figaro 
is only ten centimes.” 

“Never mind,” I stuttered. “Keep it,” and ran back to my 
room. I just had time to hear the little Frenchman exclaim: 

“These Americans are splendid fellows,” and then his voice 
took its highest pitch again: “The Figaro. The greatest news,” 
etc. It was well I did not meet another waiter this time. When 
I entered the room with flushed face, Charley cried out: 

“What is the matter, Fred, are you getting crazy?” 

“Not exactly,” I replied still distracted, “but there is great, 
very great news.” 

“What, is our incognito disclosed?” 

“No, but Clemenceau and Santos landed yesterday near 
San Francisco.” 

I translated to Charley: 

'To the Bureau of the Associated Press, Paris, France: 

“Yesterday morning Clemenceau and Santos Dumont land- 
ed here from the sky. They made a trip to the stars.” 

Then followed a puffed paragraph headed: “Back from 
the Stars.” It was a summary of the wildest imagination, a string 


EXCITEMENT AT PARIS 


77 

T 

of possible and impossible suppositions, strong enough to cause 
a volcanic explosion through all Paris and the whole of France. 

The waiter I threw down and who had changed his soiled 
clothes and looked as neat as ever, approached and planted himself 
square before me: 

"What do you mean, Sir,” he pleaded, “by throwing me on 
the ground making me break all the crockery, scatter all the nice 
dishes and spoil my clothes?” 

Charley laughed heartily. I did not know what excuse to 
profer. I put my hands deep in my pockets. 

“Here,” I stammered, “is a banknote of twenty-five francs. 
Will that repair the damage?” 

“Many thanks, Sir,” he muttered with the most gracious 
French bow. At that rate you may do it again.” 

When the waiter had gone out of sight Charley was still in 
his fit of laughter, and continued to tease me without remorse. 

“There is one good in it, sure enough,” he concluded at 
last. “It will teach my old Philosopher to remain coolheaded in 
the next emergency.” 

I diverted his attention by asking: “What about the cable- 
gram ?” 

“True, too, Fred, you made me forget all about that. It 
must be answered at once. I'll go down to the Clerk and inquire 
about the Cable Bureau.” 

Charley was soon back with a waiter. I went along with 
them. We were shown to a room in which there was a telephone. 
We were there quite by ourselves, no one to listen to us. Charley 
requested the Central Station to connect him with the Cablegram 
Bureau. This was soon done. 

“Hello!” it sounded to the other end of Paris, “are you the 
Cable Operator?” 

He answered: “I am the Cable Telegrapher. Who are 

you?” 

“A guest at the Hotel Americain. Can you send a despatch’ 
to San Francisco, California, without delay?” 

“All right, dictate it.” 

“Here it is: 

“Paris, May the 15th, 1890. 

“To Messrs. Clemenceau and Santos Dumont, Aeronauts, 

“San Francisco, Cal. 

“Hearty congratulations for happy return. We touched 
Mother Earth about four miles from Paris yesterday morning. 

“(Signed): Charley Stuart and Fred Hartfordt.” 


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EXCITEMENT AT PARIS 


The man repeated it. 

“O. K.,” said Charley, “how much?” 

“Sixty Francs,” was the laconic answer. “Pay it to the 
proprietor of your hotel.” 

“Let us take a stroll through the modern Babylon,” I sug- 
gested.” 

We HaileH a cab and off we were. We had not time to 
drive far to see that Paris was in a hot fever. The name of the 
Gieat Clemenceau was on everybody’s lips. His glorious feat 
was the topic of every conversation. Clemenceau was the great- 
est of all men. His exploit had brought more glory to France 
than all the battles won by Louis XIV and Napoleon I. He will 
bring our country to the front again among the nations" of the 
world. Let him be president, king or emperor, but he must rule 
France. And Vive Clemenceau, Vive the great man, was heard at 
every corner of the streets from the crowds gathered there talking 
and gesticulating. In several streets they were preparing already to 
erect triumphal arches for the reception of the Great Frenchman. It 
was evident that the Grand Nation was determined to give 
Clemenceau a more splendid ovation than the Great Napoleon 
ever received after his famous victorious battles, which decided 
the fate of Europe. 

We returned to our hotel rather tired and annoyed by such 
eccentric enthusiasm. 

“We may thank our stars,” remarked Charley, “that our 
dentity is not known, for in passing by I heard the remark that a 
strange Airship descended near Paris and not one could know 
whence it came, unless it were that which competed with that of 
Clemenceau. We had better leave Paris as soon as possible.” 

Just then we reached our hotel. The conversation was 
broken off by a waiter handing over a cablegram. 

“Is it paid for?” I asked. 

“Yes, Sir," was the answer of the waiter while he retired. 

Charley hurriedly opened it. It read: 

“San Francisco, May the 16th, 1890. 

“To Charley Stuart and Fred Hartfordt, Hotel American, Paris, 

“Thanks and hearty congratulations on our part. The 
competing prize will be divided in equal shares. I’ll be in Paris 
in a few days. 

Clemenceau and Dumont.” 

We decided to take the first train for Marseilles next morn- 
ing, and squared our hotel bills that same evening. 


A SCENE IN THE HARBOR 


79 


CHAPTER XXII. 

A SCENE IN THE HARBOR. 

We were up early. Before starting we agreed upon as- 
sumed names better to conceal our personality. Charley chose 
the common English name of John Fox, while I myself preferred 
the French names of Jacques Renard in order to pass as a French- 
man, as I spoke the Gallic tongue well enough for that. When we 
arrived we found a large cosmopolitan gathering. The French- 
men were the great majority. Their topic seemed to be Clem- 
enceau. We noticed a group of English tourists, which we joined. 

They showed little interest for Clemenceau, but discussed 
the strange balloon that landed in the vicinity of Paris, while no 
one “knew who the aeronauts were. 

“Here are their names,” interposed some one standing aside 
and scanning a fresh daily paper from the night press. “Charley 
Stuart and Fred Hartfordt, both Yankees. Those Yankees are 
certainly original fellows.” 

“Are you of that tribe?” the speaker asked us. 

“Yea, Sir,” we replied proudly, “and glad we are.” 

“Do you know anything,” he rejoined, “of the two aero- 
nauts just mentioned?” 

“We heard their names quoted, but you see America is such 
an immense country. We both hail from New Orleans.” And we 
introduced ourselves as John Fox and Jacques Renard. 

“Do you know those two American aeronauts ?” 

“We heard about them certainly, but Uncle Sam's Domin- 
ions are so large, you know,” was our boasting and evasive reply. 

While I went off to buy tickets for myself and Charley I 
passed quite a crowd of excited Frenchmen. In the midst stood 
a man holding a newspaper aloft addressing his audience with no 
end of gesticulations. 

“I tell you, citizens,” I heard him say, “these two men must 
be found for the glory and triumphal reception of Clemenceau 
and the greater glory for our country. They must be found, even 
if we must raise a regiment of detectives and policemen to hunt 
them up.” 

I heard enough. I went to the ticket window and chartered 
a wagon first-class for us alone. It was about time for our train 
to start. A conductor accompanied us to our railroad wagon, 
and inspected our tickets. I requested him not to allow anyone in 
our wagon. 


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A SCENE IN THE HARBOR 


“Of course not. It is entirely at your disposal as far as 
Marseilles.” 

Charley took out his pocketbook and tendered him a Bank- 
note. 

“Not allowed to accept it,” responded the official 
peevishly. 

“At least take those cigars, then,”said he, “to treat yourself 
and your companions,” and he handed him a handful of the best 
kind of that smoking luxury. 

“I may accept that,” replied our conductor. “Infinite 
thanks, Sir,” and he closed the door after him. 

“From what I heard all around,” I said to Charley, “I was 
afraid we might be detected before we reached Marseilles, there- 
fore, I chartered this wagon, that we might remain quite alone.” 

“Oh, well,” joked Charley, “this wagon is not much more 
anyway than a sumptuous bird-cage, hardly roomy enough for 
two.” 

At every stopping station the conductor took care that no 
one ventured into our wagon. We arrived unmolested at our des- 
tination. We drove at once to a hotel near the harbor and en- 
gaged a suite of rooms with private meals. The Steamboat we in- 
tended to board would set off next morning. We procured our 
tickets under our assumed names. 

“All aboard,” was megaphoned from the gangplank. 

We had already stored our satchels and parcels away in our 
cabin and went on deck to enjoy a good view of the huge vessel 
steaming out of the harbor. The Quay was dotted with thousand 
after thousand of human beings of both sexes of all ages and 
classes. The sailors were just going to remove the gangplank 
and cut us off from the shore. Others hauled the anchors in. 
The vessel was already under steam and leaving shore, when over- 
head of the waving multitude could be noticed a squad of men in 
the background, more running than walking. In front was a divi- 
sion of policemen judging from their strappings, while the rear 
consisted of dignified personages, in civilian clothes, but girded 
with the national French colors. 

The policemen sounded their whistles and made imperative 
signs that the steamboat should return to shore. The Captain 
saw it all from the bridge and grumbled : “What in the world 
does this mean? I have no smugglers or criminals on board.” 

However, he commanded the engineer: “Back to shore.” 

The Police threw the crowd right and left to make quick 
way for their honorable charges, and posted themselves near the 


A SCENE IN THE HARBOR 


81 


gangplank in two rows through which the rear division passed 
with dignified deportment. The Official Committee of Marseilles, 
for this it was, came on deck. The Captain stood there erect like 
the Czar of all Russians ready to receive them. 

“What do the honorable Gentlemen want?” he asked with a 
slight reverence. 

“You have two men on board we wish to see.” 

“Thunder,” he grumbled, “I do not harbor neither murder- 
ers, nor thieves or bankrobbers.” 

“We are not after such people, either,” replied the speaker 
of the party in a pacifying tone. You have two great men on 
board, whom Paris, Marseilles and the whole of France, together 
with our Great Clemenceau and Santos Dumont, want to honor.” 

“Plum,” rejoined the Captain more politely, “what are their 
names please?” 

Charles Stuart and Fred Hartfordt, the famuos aeronauts.” 

“Do not know them,” was the ship-king’s laconic answer. 

“Still they must be there; they were traced from the spot 
near Paris, where they descended on their return from the stars; 
they were tracked to the Hotel Americain, in the Metropole; 
hence they were shadowed as far as Marseilles, whence they would 
embark for New Orleans on this same Steamboat.” 

Strange,” murmured the Captain annoyed. “Hand me the 
list of the passengers,” turning to his mate, “and double quick, 
too. I don’t want to be detained any longer.” 

“Here it is, Captain.” 

“There,” the Captain said turning to the Committee, while 
he threw the list to the speaker. “Look for yourself.” 

Of course, only our assumed names could be found. 

“Their names are not on the list,” said the speaker discom- 
fited. 

“Sorry, Captain, that we detained you.” 

“Get off, then, as quickly as possible, please,” was the Cap- 
tain’s command. “By all the stars in the heavens,” he yelled 
now through his horn: “Go ahead, engineer, and clear land this 
time for good.” 

Our Frenchmen had hardly time to jump from the gang- 
plank to dry land. 


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CHAPTER XXIII. ] 

BACK HOME. 

All this time Charley and myself were standing in the front 
row as the most disinterested on-lookers. It was the funny out- 
come, however, we enjoyed most of all. The huge Steamer once 
more left shore this time for good, and under a mixed variety of 
hissing, hooting and laughters and cries of “Good bye,” and 
“Farewell,” and “God bless you,” according to the disposition of 
the miscellaneous crowd. We were watching still the various 
manoeuvres of the outgoing vessel and the unique sight of the 
magnificent harbor, when we crossed the Bar and our boat began 
to waver and rock, to jump and to dance in majestic strides over 
the mighty waves of the deep Ocean. The passengers began to 
scatter over deck to get acquainted with each other then to unite 
in homogeneous groups, and discuss the humoristic fuss in the 
harbor. Not far from us was towering the gigantic form of a son 
of Erin surrounded, as it seemed, by some Americans cracking 
jokes. Charley felt always some attraction for the Aborigenes of 
the Green Isle on account of their humor and ready witticism, 
and more perhaps because there were some Celtic bubbles in his 
blood. We joined the hilarious group. 

“I tell you,” said the giant, “this Captain is a splendid fel- 
low. It is a pity he is not an Irishman.” 

“Oh,” interrupted one of the listeners, “he is akin to it. He 
is a Breton, the only remnant of Gaelic blood and language in 
France. Surely if such a scene would occur in an English har- 
bour, it would echo and re-echo as far as Dublin. And Ireland 
would chuckle with laughter and secret hope. The cry would go 
up from one end of the land to the other. It is now time for 
home-rule.” 

“How so?” was the general question. 

“You see,” continued the Irishman with a jovial smile, 
“that brave Captain is a Breton and the Bretons are a religious 
and industrious people. They are tired of a government that 
tries to rob them of their religion, of their priests and churches, 
and the Breton Captain earned certainly the full approval of his 
brethren when he turned down with fine tact and undaunted valor 
the enthusiastic and foolish representatives of a government that 
does not see any other foes than the church and its priests. Good 
luck to the Bretons,” he cried, “but let me drop this topic, I might 
say too much* One thing is sure, the French are the most enthus- 


BACK HOME 


83 

— i 


iastic people on the face of the Earth. The idea that their great 
man Clemenceau, the foremost champion of Socialism or anybody 
else, made a trip to the stars, and picture all its details, as if they 
had been eye witnesses. Their imagination must be vivid enough 
to make the Rocky Mountains out of a mole hill.” 

Here a little chap jumped on his feet. He had been sitting 
on a campstool scanning a bundle of newspapers or pretending to 
do so, while he was listening. This small but alert specimen of 
mankind put himself squarely before the big Irishman: 

“Sir,” he articulated in solemn tone, “you have insulted my 
country and its flag, you calumniated my nation, you are a liar. 

I can prove by these papers that the trip to the Stars is not a crea- 
ture of French imagination but a real fact.” 

“Oh,” retorted the undisturbed Celt, “what the newspapers 
tell us is not Gospel truth.” 

“Well, here then,” was the rejoiner, “do you admit facts as 
truth ?” 

“Sure I do,” was the answer, “provided they are real. These 
indeed are stubborn things.” 

“Now, then, that queer airship with which Charles Stuart 
and Fred Hartfordt made their trip to the Stars is here on board 
labeled with their names. I saw it with my own eyes when it was 
brought to the ship last evening, while I was informed that the 
owners would take passage on the same boat.” 

“Why are they not on board then?” queried the incredulous 
Irishman. 

“I do not know,” was the reply. “Perhaps they do not be- 
long to the extreme wing of your American prohibition and cele- 
brated their great exploit a little too copiously and had to 
sleep it out, and so missed the boat. Are you satisfied now?” con- 
cluded the Frenchman triumphantly. 

“Not at all,” was the laconic answer, “I believe in the infal- 
libility of the Pope, not in yours.” 

* “Nevertheless,” the Gaul said, “I bet you five hundred 
Francs that I am right and you are wrong.” 

“Five hundred Francs,” repeated the Irishman thoughtfully. 
“We reckon by dollars,” my friend.” 

“Make it five hundred dollars, then,” insisted the French- 
man. 

“Hum,” replied the other, “you must know I am a married 
man. I have at home a dear little queen with a dozen or so 
princes and princesses, small or tall, according to age. I have to 
study it out sometimes to find the exact number. I expect half a 


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dozen or so more before the number is completed. Now, thanks 
to God, I have pretty good wages, but I find it very hard to, keep a 
decent bank account. My dear little ones grow faster than my 
wages. Last Christmas I had saved up about twenty-five round 
dollars to buy a new dress and hat for my queen that she might 
appear in Church in as good fashion as other women. I had hard- 
ly broached the subject to her, when she protested with a charm- 
ing smile: 

“ ‘Na, no, Patrick, my dress and hat are good enough yet, 
but give the money to me anyhow. Santa Claus will take it all to 
rejoice the hearts of our little ones.’ 

“You see, betting would not do for me. Moreover, it is 
against my religious principles. But if you want to settle the dif- 
ference, let us fight it out, I can afford that,” concluded the giant 
wistfully, while he watched the countenance of his dwarfish an- 
tagonist. 

The Frenchman backed out a step or two without losing 
the innate bravado of his race. 

At this juncture the baggage-man, who showed Irish fea- 
tures, too, and had been a constant and silent listener, tapped his 
countryman on his broad shoulders. 

“Pat,” he said, “I want to see you a minute. They retired 
a little way off, and as a story-writer, I may reveal to the reader 
the secret of the interview. 

“Pat,” began the baggage-man, “do not dispute any further 
with that Frenchman. He is entirely right at least with regard to 
that strange airship. It is really on board addressed to Charles 
Stuart and Fred Hartfordt, Aeroneauts, New Orleans. A learned 
man, who saw it, asserted definitely, that the wood, which was 
used ot make the fore and aft cabins, did not grow anywhere on 
this Earth, but must come from another Planet.” 

This settled the matter in the mind of the Irishman. When 
he returned to our group, the Frenchman still waiting for him 
with firm determination. Our Irishman was uj. to the situation. 

“Look here, my man,” he began, “neither betting nor fight- 
ing is in accordance with my faith, but my friend there tells me 
that you are right at least in one thing. That queer airship is on 
board indeed, and shows evident traces that it has come from an- 
other Planet. Moreover, I lately read and heard so much about 
electricity and its possibilities, that I should not wonder that soon 
we will have regular electric roads to the stars. I for myself,” he 
added, “I do not care much for such a trip. America is good 
enough for me, but if they succeed to push through an electric 


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85 


road to the gates of Heaven, I certainly will buy tickets for myself 
and my family not to miss such an exquisite chance.” 

“Amen,” was the conclusion all around, while the Irishman 
and the Frenchman shook hands as if they had been on the most 
intimate terms of friendship during all their life. 

From now on, in fact, these two were nearly always togeth- 
er during the remainder of the voyage. Not one had the least 
suspicion that we were the two culprits whom the French Officials 
had been looking for. We had further an uneventful but pleasant 
passage. We reached the harbor of New Orleans after sunset. 
We escaped unnoticed, and under the protection of darkness took 
a cab and drove home. 

Arriving at my residence I paid my driver in a hurry. We 
ran up the steps. I rang the bell. The door opened. My negro 
stood there gasping, his arms lifted towards Heaven. 

“O Lord, save me,” he cried with a husky voice. “That’s 
the ghost of my master,” and he ran off towards the office room 
of my superintendent whom I had left in full charge of my affairs 
and estate, when we departed for San Francisco. We followed 
the frightened Negro there. When we appeared at the door 
Jumbo was trembling and telling the Superintendent with incoher- 
ent words his spook story. As soon as he saw us the Superin- 
tendent sprang up from his chair to meet us and bid us a hearty 
welcome, while my Negro was still gazing at us with incredulous 
eyes. 

“Jumbo,” I said, “go and take our hand satchels and bring 
them upstairs in our rooms.” 

“Do not blame the poor Negro too much for his fright*” 
began the Superintendent after Jumbo had disappeared. “I myseff 
did not expect to see you any more in the land of the living. Yes- 
terday I was already on my way to the Probate Court to have 
your Last Will opened, when I heard a news boy cry out the stu- 
pendous novelty of the return from the stars of Clemenceau and 
Santos Dumont. I bought the paper, read the telegram and went 
back towards home when I heard other cries of a cablegram from 
Paris : An airship descended near Paris on its return from the 
Stars/ Only no names were mentioned here, but I assumed it 
could be nobody else than you. So I returned home and hid your 
Last Will in its old resting place.” 

Here my story is at an end. Charley and myself live to- 
gether as two brothers. The peculiar airship found a place of 
honor in our large Library, where we pass a great deal of our time 
in writing articles and pamphlets to urge a true social reform 


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based on the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest of 
all social reformers. 

Mr. Clemenceau, we hope, that equipped with the true 
Christian dispositions he took along with him from the Planet 
Jupiter, will succeed in his work or restoration and bring France 
back to her old glory of the Grand Catholic Nation. 


A. M. D. G. 


The End. 






